


Messages From Madrid

by SupercityCarnival



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, long distance, supercat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-07-17 22:29:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 53,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7288597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupercityCarnival/pseuds/SupercityCarnival
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cat has to travel to Spain to fix a CatCo mess. Kara deals with Cat being gone, but not without Cat helping her along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Mess In Madrid

**Author's Note:**

> I know there have been other stories of Supercat being separated by distance. All I can say is, here is another. Lol! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy. No idea how many chapters this will be.

Cat and Kara walked through the bullpen, shoulder to shoulder. They lightly bumped into one another as they squeezed between chairs and desks. Kara fumbled a bit trying to match Cat’s quick stride and not spill her latte. Cat didn’t even look up from Kara’s tablet that she held in her hand. She read and walked seamlessly with the sway still in her hips. Kara had never understood how she managed it. 

They were headed toward Cat’s office. As they approached, Kara said a genuine, “Hey, Rachel,” to Cat’s newest assistant. Rachel gave her a brief smile as she tried to catch Cat’s attention. 

But Cat just kept walking right passed the girl’s desk when she said, “Uh, Ms. Grant?”

“Not now, Raquel.” Kara pressed her lips together at the familiar scene. She also appreciated that Cat was so focused on reviewing the article on Kara’s tablet. It was Kara’s first feature story and it was going to be on the cover of the Tribune. 

Cat walked behind her desk, dropping her purse and walking back around to stand in front of Kara. She finally met Kara’s eyes and said, sincerely, “This is good, Kara.”

Kara gave her a bright smile. Cat extended her hand to give Kara her tablet back. They traded a latte for a tablet. Kara asked a shy, “Really? I want you to be proud of it. I know you don’t put just anything on page one of the Trib.”

“No, it’s good. Really.” Cat took a sip of her latte. “And you know this isn’t your job anymore,” she said, tipping the cup toward Kara. 

Kara shrugged. “Old habits, I guess.” Truth be told, Kara used the latte as a daily excuse to have some time with Cat. 

They watched each other for a moment, then Cat said, “Oh, but there are a couple things.” 

“Of course,” Kara said quickly, pulling the article back up on the tablet. 

Cat came to stand right next to her and used her finger to scroll down. She was so close that Kara could smell her perfume. She unconsciously tilted her head a little closer. She didn’t notice her own movement, but Cat did and she smiled the tiniest smile. 

“Here,” Cat said. “This section in the middle. Read it.” She watched Kara with the tiny smile still on her face. 

After a minute of reading, Kara looked at her and quietly said, “I’m still arguing.” Cat nodded to her. This was the third time Cat had reviewed this article for her and each time Cat made it better and better. And each time she had to remind Kara not to advocate. 

“I know it’s difficult when it’s something you believe in. And it gets better every time you write it, but I know you well enough to know that you’re still trying to get your opinion in.”

Kara gave a small nod. “Okay.”

Then Cat said, “But I love the way you use these statistics and interviews to make your point here,” she scrolled back up. “It sets a great pace for the rest of the piece.”

“Thank you,” Kara said and held her gaze for a moment. 

Cat finally broke eye contact before her tiny smile got any bigger and went to walk back behind the desk. “Work on it this morning. I’ll come by later to check it.”

“Sounds good,” Kara replied. With a last smile for Cat, she turned to leave. 

Cat’s tiny smile faded as she watched Kara go. She had been putting off telling Kara the news. She could already see in her mind the despondent look that Kara would have. Today was her last opportunity. She didn’t look forward to the conversation. 

Then Cat saw Rachel looking at her with her hand up a little, as if asking Cat’s permission to speak. She rolled her eyes and waved the girl in. Rachel scampered in with a notepad in hand. 

Cat knew there was a long day ahead and she would need the assistant’s help to get everything done before tomorrow.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Cat checked the time again. She was putting off the inevitable. It was well after lunch time. She typed for a few more minutes and glanced at the time again. 

With a sigh, she rose from her chair and headed for Kara’s office. She walked slower than she normally did when she walked through the offices. She came to Kara’s door, which was always slightly open, and lightly knocked. 

Kara looked up with another bright smile. She immediately stood and came around her desk. “Hey, come in,” she told Cat as she moved the two chairs in front of her desk to face each other. She always did that when Cat came to her office. Just Cat. She wanted to sit close to her and be able to see her eyes. 

When Cat sat down, Kara reached over to the desk and grabbed her tablet. She handed it to Cat. “Okay. I think it might be done.”

Cat was all business at the moment. She slipped her glasses on and began to read. Kara watched her intently. It took several minutes to read the entire thing. And Cat kept scrolling back up and then back down, reviewing thoroughly. 

Kara’s pulse was increasing. Cat’s approval meant the world. Finally, she slipped her glasses back off and looked at Kara seriously, not speaking. 

“Well?” Kara asked, trying to mask her anxiousness. 

Cat smiled slowly. “You’re right. I think it’s done,” she said quietly. 

Kara tried to contain herself, but she let out a laugh and clapped her hands a little. “Finally!”

Cat couldn’t help but laugh too. “You worked hard on this. You should be proud. I can’t wait to see it on the front page.”

Kara let out a satisfied sigh. “Thank you, Ms. Grant.” Kara couldn’t remember ever seeing Cat as supportive of another one of her journalists.

They watched each other again, as they had earlier in the morning. Cat looked away, trying to decide how to tell Kara. She hated to ruin Kara’s enthusiasm.

Then she asked, “Kara, do you remember the staff meeting we had last week when we talked about what was happening at the Madrid office?”

Kara thought back. She nodded. “Yeah, you said the editor in chief quit. You were trying to find a replacement.”

“Yes, well, not surprisingly, finding a qualified editor in chief for a broad reaching outlet like CatCo is challenging.” Cat sighed. “And I didn’t realize how poorly the office in Madrid was being managed. It’s a mess. And it’s not producing the way it could. Or should.”

Kara could tell she was missing something. “So what are you going to do?”

Cat looked at Kara. The question hung in the air until Kara didn’t need Cat to tell her. But Cat did anyway. “I’m going to go to Madrid and fix it.” 

Then there it was. Cat saw the look of disappointment paint its way over Kara’s face. Her eye brows furrowed, her beautiful eyes became sad, and her lips parted a little. 

“Oh,” was all Kara said. They stayed quiet for a bit. Kara asked, “For how long?”

Cat shook her head. “I’m not sure.” She paused before saying, “It could take a week, it could take a month.” She quietly finished, “Or longer.”

Kara just stared at her. She was fighting back selfish tears. So she looked away from Cat, not wanting to appear weak in front her. After all, it was an established rule that there was no crying at work. 

Kara asked her, “What about Carter?”

Cat smiled warmly and her face softened. She loved that Kara thought of Carter. “He’ll stay with his father. If it ends up being a long job, I’ll come back to visit him.”

Kara closed her eyes. She could tell from the way Cat was talking that she, indeed, thought that it would be a long job. 

“I’m gonna miss you,” Kara whispered, not trusting herself to talk any louder. 

“Me too,” Cat said. 

The conversation settled between them. They continued watching each other. Kara took a long breath in and out and asked, “When do you leave?”

Cat answered quickly, “Tomorrow morning.”

Then Kara’s eyes went wide. “So soon?”

Cat nodded. “I’ve been putting off telling you. I’m sorry.”

Kara understood. Things had shifted between them. Neither one of them was brave enough to confront it. It had happened after Myriad. Well, maybe it started before Myriad. But Kara was sure it was mutual after. She was also sure that Cat knew that she was Supergirl. 

She had felt like they were finally getting close to one of them cracking and saying something to the other. But now this. Kara was sure that Cat was just as disappointed as she was. Not to mention, Cat also had to leave her son. 

“No, it’s okay,” Kara told her. “I’m sorry that you have to leave Carter.”

That’s Kara, Cat thought, always understanding. She just nodded again. After a minute, she cleared her throat. 

“That’s not all, Kara.” Kara braced herself. Cat said, “I need your help.”

Kara answered without a thought, “Of course. Anything.”

Cat went on. “In any other office, I would get a temporary editor in chief to come in from another CatCo office. But I don’t want to do that here.” She paused before continuing. “National City is CatCo’s main headquarters and I don’t want an outsider here. Even if the outsider is from within CatCo. This office is unique.” 

Kara lifted her chin in thought. Surely Cat wasn’t going to ask what she thought Cat was going to ask. 

“I only trust the people here to run this office.” Cat continued. “While I’m gone I’d like that to be you and James.”

Kara raised her eye brows. But Cat kept talking before Kara could refuse. “Now I know that might seem overwhelming. But I’ve already talked to James. He knows you’ll be fine. He’s a department head so he knows about CatCo’s inner workings and you know more about our day to day operations than anyone. Even me, probably.” 

Kara looked at her. She was a little shocked. She didn’t respond for a minute. “Um,” she tried to start. “I, uh.” She stopped again. Cat let her take her time. She wasn’t sure how Kara would respond to the request. Then Kara simply said, “I won’t let you down.” 

Cat smiled at her, feeling like a weight was lifted knowing that CatCo would be in good hands. They stayed in Kara’s office for a while, talking things over and offering each other reassurance.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

The next morning, Cat was slowly gathering things from her office and packing them into a briefcase. She was taking her time, trying to squeeze every last minute she could in this place that had become sacred to her. 

She had a duty to CatCo and she knew that sometimes meant leaving home. Though she anticipated that this would be her longest time away from home. Away from the people she cared about. 

Though, she loved CatCo and she didn’t mind taking the time to help it thrive. Part of her couldn’t believe how out of hand things had gotten in Madrid. She prided herself on her European counterparts. She was already planning on a new system of worldwide accountability. But it was a tall order. 

Cat sighed deeply and took a last look around the office. As she walked out, she stopped to close the door and lock it. Then she stopped at Rachel’s desk. 

“No one other than Kara Danvers sets foot inside this office,” she told the girl. Rachel nodded emphatically. “I’m serious,” Cat said. “If you see anyone else in there, you contact Kara, James Olsen, or myself. 

“Yes, Ms. Grant,” Rachel dutifully responded. 

Cat tucked the key away and went to drop it off with Kara. She made her way across the bullpen, paying extra attention to her surroundings today. She made her way down the familiar hallway and softly knocked on Kara’s open door. When she looked inside, Kara was nowhere to be found. 

Cat hung her head for a moment. She had wanted to tell Kara goodbye. With another sigh, she turned away from the door and headed toward the elevator. She stepped inside and pushed the down button. She felt disappointed. She didn’t want to leave. 

The elevator opened on the lobby floor and Cat slowly walked out and across the lobby. She opened the doors to head to her car. Once she was outside, she looked to where her driver was usually waiting for her. 

But instead of her driver, Cat’s eyes fell on Kara, holding the back door of Cat’s usual black sedan open. She was giving Cat a wide smile and Cat couldn’t help but return it. She walked up to stand in front of Kara. 

“Good morning, Ms. Grant. I heard you needed a ride to the airport.” 

Cat just shook her head slowly. Then she said, “I was afraid I’d missed you.”

“No way I was going to let you go to the other side of the world without a goodbye,” Kara said. 

Cat felt relief flooding her. Something about Kara centered her. Cat reached out and closed the back door, moving passed Kara to open the passenger door and slipping inside so she could sit closer to the younger woman. 

Kara was still smiling when she walked around the car to get into the driver’s seat. Kara saw Cat turn her head back toward the CatCo building as they drove away. She knew Cat didn’t want to go. 

She tried to reassure her. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

Cat looked at her. “I hope so.” 

They made their way to the airport. They talked a little. When they weren’t talking, the silence stretched comfortably between them. There weren’t many people that Cat didn’t mind silence with. Kara was one of them. She never felt the need to fill the quiet with Kara. 

They came to the small private airport and pulled directly onto the tarmac. The CatCo jet was waiting. They gave each other one last look before getting out of the car. Kara moved to take Cat’s luggage out of the trunk. Someone was waiting to put it on the plane. 

Cat and Kara faced one another, both setting their jaws, determined not to cry. 

“Remember, Rachel works for you and James now. Take advantage of her. Proper assistants are a life saver,” Cat told her. Kara smiled at the veiled compliment. “Oh,” Cat continued, taking the key from her pocket and giving it to Kara. “You are the only person I want in my office. Ever.”

Kara nodded. “Cat, I, um,” Kara didn’t know what to say, but she wanted to say something. She still rarely used Cat’s first name. Usually only when she felt vulnerable. 

Cat echoed Kara’s words from earlier. “It’ll be over before you know it.” 

Kara nodded again. Then Cat put a hand on Kara’s forearm. “Kara,” she said, “I’d like to spend some time together when I get back. If you want to.”

Kara smiled again and looked away shyly. She bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling too much. She felt Cat’s thumb stroke her arm. She looked back and Cat’s expression was full of hope. Cat always spoke so sure. If Kara had said the same thing, she would have stuttered all over herself. But Cat was always confident about whatever she was going to say before she said it. 

“I would really like that,” Kara responded. 

“Good.” Cat gave her arm a squeeze and let go. “I’ll see you soon.” With that, Cat turned away and walked toward the plane. 

Kara watched her until she disappeared inside. Then she slid her glasses down, just enough to look inside the plane and watch Cat while she sat down and dropped her head back against the seat. 

Kara pushed her glasses back up and sighed. She watched the plane taxi away. She watched as it picked up speed down the runway. And she watched as it lifted into the air and took Cat away from her. 

She crossed her arms and looked at the ground. She missed Cat so much already.


	2. A Botched Byline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gotta be honest, I thought this chapter was lackluster. I neeeed them together!

Twelve hours later, Cat took in a deep sigh as the CatCo jet touched down in Madrid. It was getting late, but Cat wanted to get started anyway. She was already missing home and everything that went along with it. 

She gathered her things and stepped off the plane. At the bottom of the steps was a tall, dark, and handsome man. He held his hand out to help her down the last couple steps. He was clean shaven and he was smiling at Cat. 

“Good evening, Ms. Grant,” he said, in a thick accent that suited his looks well. “Welcome to Madrid. My name is Daniel Martínez. I’m the head of the news-,”

Cat broke in, “The head of the news department, I know. Good to meet you,” she said, “I’m sorry about the position you and CatCo Spain have been left in.” She had made it a priority to study the major players in CatCo Spain’s office prior to her trip. Daniel Martínez was one of the few gems. 

“Thank you. I am sorry that it brought you all the way here, but we are very happy to have your personal help.”

Cat nodded and said, “Well, I’d like to get to the office, if you don’t mind.”

Daniel’s eyes got a little bigger. “Right now?”

Cat just nodded again without saying anything. 

Daniel was caught off guard. “I assumed you would want to rest first and start tomorrow. But I can certainly take you there if you like.”

“Has everyone gone home?”

Daniel nodded. “Yes ma'am. It is getting late.”

Without hesitation, Cat said, “Get the senior staff back in, right now.” He opened his mouth to object, but Cat’s unwavering look had him pulling out his phone to send the necessary messages. 

They headed toward the car. Daniel moved to open the door for her as he talked to someone on the phone in Spanish. 

He made another short call and sent a couple texts. Cat waited patiently. Soon he started the car and they were off. They drove away from the small airport and toward downtown. Cat put her glasses on and pulled out a file folder full of papers and began looking through them. 

In the driver’s seat, Daniel was returning frantic messages and phone calls. Finally, he said to her, “I think everyone will be there, ma'am.”

Without looking up, Cat said, “Daniel.”

“Yes, ma'am?”

“Never call me ‘ma’am’.”

He paused, afraid of messing up, and simply replied, “Yes, Ms. Grant.”

They rode the rest of the way to the office in silence as Cat read and Daniel drove. When they arrived, Cat got out of the car and looked at the building. It was four stories and it looked old. But it was adequate. 

She looked at Daniel and asked, “Does CatCo occupy the entire building?”

He nodded, “Yes ma-, uh, Ms. Grant.” She nodded. It was a good space. 

“Does the senior staff speak English?” Cat was worried about a language barrier. 

“The senior staff, yes, but many others do not, or maybe just a little.”

Cat began walking toward the front doors. Daniel walked quickly ahead of her so he could open the door. She suppressed a smile at his chivalry. It reminded her of Kara. 

When she walked in, she stopped in her tracks and looked around. She let out a long breath and Daniel noticed the disapproving look. The place hadn’t been updated it what seemed to be decades. It looked like a dingy post office from the seventy's. The corners were dark, the walls were painted a terrible color, the furniture looked like it belonged in a men’s smoking room in old Hollywood. 

Daniel said quietly, “It could use an upgrade.”

Cat rolled her eyes and asked without looking at him, “Where to?”

He led her to the elevators and to the second floor. When she came off the elevator, a group of about six people was waiting. They all stood at mock attention when she entered. 

Cat quickly turned on her media mogal persona. After a quick look around, she realized how much this place needed more than just a facelift. 

She walked up to the group. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming back in on short notice.” Some of them gave her an intimidated smile, some stood with their arms crossed. “We have a lot of work to do over the next few weeks. I know it will be a sacrifice, but we are all going to be working long, hard hours. I promise I won’t ask you to do anything I’m not willing to do myself.” A couple people uncrossed their arms at that. She knew she would need to win them over eventually, but tonight was a reality check. 

So she continued, “I’m sorry to say that CatCo Spain is in somewhat dire straights. I want to apologize to all of you. It took your leader quitting for me to know what was happening here. Or not happening. I want you know that I am committed to making this office the premiere CatCo office in Europe. Four floors or forty. The building doesn’t determine the quality. If you are all committed, we will make it happen.”

As she looked around, she could see that everyone seemed on board. Time to get to work. “Alright then, give me one hour or so tonight and let’s make a preliminary list of everything that needs to get done.” They all nodded and went to sit together and get to work.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

That first few days flew by for Cat. The amount of things that needed to be done seemed overwhelming. That first night, she and the senior staff pulled a white board into the bullpen. On it, they wrote their preliminary to-do list. It ranged from organizing the bullpen to getting their sales up to finding a new editor in chief. 

Cat met with every single employee personally, asking questions about what they thought needed to change. She reviewed the content from the last several months. She talked to distributors. 

The first morning she had met her assistant. She was very young, but she seemed competent. And she was nervous to meet Cat. Daniel had introduced them. “Ms. Grant, this is your assistant, Raquel.” 

Cat had immediately smiled a little and asked, “Raquel?” She didn’t mean to, but she breathed out a small laugh. The girl just nodded, confused. “I’m sorry,” Cat said. “You’ll have to forgive me if I call you Rachel.” Raquel didn’t say anything. She seemed shy. So Cat told her, “Raquel, I need you to get three contactors to come in here for an estimate tomorrow. The day after I need three interior designers for an estimate.” Raquel nodded and shuffled to her desk. 

By the end of the week, a few things had already been crossed off the long list.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Back in National City, the days creeped by for Kara. Every time she passed by Cat’s office it was like a tiny stab in her heart. Every time someone knocked at her door she half expected to look up and see Cat’s face. 

Thankfully, Cat had split the duties of running the office fairly equally between her and James. Kara ran staff meetings, met with board members, and handled Cat’s weekly meetings with lawyers, accountants, and such. She was also in charge of relaying information and questions to Cat. 

They had to email or text each other several times a day. Whether it was Kara asking for Cat’s approval on content or asking an accounting question. Cat also tried to stay on top of what was happening with CatCo back home. 

Even though their contact was about work, Kara was grateful for it. When Cat had a question for something James was handling, she still asked Kara to ask James. She knew that Cat wanted the interaction as much she did. 

At the end of the week, Kara hadn’t heard from Cat all day. She tried to think of a reason to contact her. She checked the clock. It was noon. Nine in the evening in Madrid. She was sure Cat would still be up. 

Her heart beat a little faster. She hoped Cat wouldn’t know she was making an excuse. She texted, _‘Can we use your office for staff meetings? It’s cramped in James’ office and I think it would help maintain normalcy.’_

A minute later came the response. _‘Of course. Just lock the door when you’re done.’_

Kara couldn’t help it. She texted back. _‘You still at the office? How was the first week?’_

Cat typed back, _‘I am. It’s been a long week. You would not believe everything that needs to be done. I haven’t even gotten close to picking a new EC.’_ Immediately, another text came through. _‘How are you?’_

Kara smiled a little. She loved that Cat wanted to know. She easily answered, _‘I’m okay. It’s not the same without you here.’_

Cat sent, _‘I miss home so much already. Oh, and my assistant’s name is Raquel.’_

Kara laughed. _‘You’re kidding! My assistant’s name is Raquel too! No wait, it’s Rachel,’_ she joked. She wasn’t with Cat, so she wasn’t able to hear Cat laugh, too. 

_‘I miss you, Kara.’_

Kara’s smile faded. For just a second she felt like she might cry. She fought the urge to jump out a window and test her speed across the ocean. Instead, she just typed, _‘I miss you, too.’_

 _‘You don’t need to make up an excuse to contact me. I like hearing from you.’_ Kara rolled her eyes as Cat called her out. Cat always saw right through her. 

_‘I’ll keep that in mind,’_ Kara typed, _‘Get some rest.’_

She put the phone down and sighed. She put her head back and closed her eyes for a moment. She tried to imagine what Cat looked like in that moment. She probably had her glasses on and was going back and forth between typing and reading. Kara wondered if her hair was curled or a little straighter. Either way, she was sure Cat looked amazing, even after a fourteen hour day. 

She opened her eyes and looked back at her computer. She had to get ready for a meeting in the marketing department.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

It was Sunday afternoon. Cat had given the staff the day off. They had worked hard all week and definitely earned it. She was in her hotel room going over dossiers for possible editor in chief replacements. So far, she didn’t like any of them. 

Her hotel room had a balcony. Kara had taught Rachel most of Cat’s travel preferences and a balcony was one of them. She sat outside, in the shade. She closed her eyes and let the breeze wash over her. It didn’t feel quite the same as home, but when her eyes were closed she could almost feel the Pacific wind. 

She heard her tablet chime an alarm. She knew it was the alert that she got when the Sunday edition of the Tribune was ready for download. She opened her eyes and quickly picked up the device. Today’s edition would have Kara’s article on the front page. 

She couldn’t wait to see how it looked. She was so proud of Kara. She had picked an issue that she really believed in and now that issue would be front and center on a nation wide platform. 

She clicked the app to download. She couldn’t help the smile that came across her face. As soon as it was ready, she opened it. There it was. The first headline. 

National City Welcomes Meta Humans

Cat smiled wider. It was perfect. Kara had done so much research and so many interviews for the article. She had even gotten a recording of the mayor saying that National City was a safe haven for meta humans. The article had far reaching implications that Kara had had to consider as a writer and also that Cat had had to consider. CatCo had been the first major news outlet to take a supportive stand toward meta humans. 

Cat took a breath as her eyes ran over the headline. But her smile quickly dissolved as she read the byline. Her mouth slowly opened and her eye brows drew together in confusion. 

By Kara Danvers and Cat Grant. 

Cat didn’t understand. She had helped Kara proof it, but she had nothing to do with submitting it. She didn’t know how the mistake could have been made. What would Kara think? Some journalists' careers were made and lost by their bylines. 

Ignoring the time, Cat quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Kara’s number. She hated for Kara to think she tried to steal her credit. 

The phone rang several times before Kara answered. “Cat?” Her voice was filled with sleep. “Is everything okay?”

Cat immediately asked quietly, “Have you seen the Trib?”

There was a pause at the other end. Then Kara said, “It’s like five in the morning. I haven’t seen anything. Hang on.” Cat heard a shuffle as Kara found her tablet. After a minute she said, “Hey, it’s my article.” Suddenly she was awake and happily looking at the screen. 

“Did you see the byline?” Cat felt nervous. 

“Yeah.” Kara asked, “What?”

“Kara, I’m sorry,” Cat told her, “I have no idea how this happened.”

“Cat,” Kara said with a smile, “that’s how I wrote it.”

Cat was silent. She just kept looking at the byline with the confused expression. “Why would you do that?” Cat voice was still quiet. 

Kara laughed a little. She thought it was cute how surprised Cat was. “You proofed it half a dozen times. You practically dictated half of it to me.” She paused, not wanting to say too much. “Your guidance is what made it a good piece.” She finished with, “I’m proud to share credit with you.”

Cat was still letting the shock wear off. “Thank you, darling. I’m so proud of you.” Cat was quiet again. She was fighting back some tears. All the sudden she missed home more than ever. She couldn’t help but think of how much better the surprise would have been if they could have seen each other’s faces. 

She must have been quiet for a while because Kara asked, “Cat, are you alright?”

She cleared her throat a bit. “Yes, yes, I’m fine.” She realized that her phone call had been a little sporadic. “Um, I’m sorry I woke you. I’ll let you go.”

“No, wait,” Kara said quickly. It was the first time they had talked in a week. Kara just wanted to keep her on the phone. “Uh, tell me, um, tell me about Spain.”

Cat smiled. She relaxed and leaned back in her chair. “Well, the route from my hotel to the office is nice.”

Kara laughed. “You haven’t done anything besides work, have you?”

“The faster I work, the faster I can come home,” Cat left the ‘to you' at the end unsaid. 

“What’s the office like?” Kara asked. 

Cat breathed out loudly. “It has potential.” It was the best she could think to say. “The contractor I hired started demolition Thursday so it’s loud and dusty.”

“Demolition,” Kara said. “Wow. That bad?”

“Well, one of the first things I noticed is that people like to be outside here. And the climate is wonderful. They needed an outdoor patio. And more windows. A lot more windows.” Cat thought of all the cosmetic things they were doing to the building. “We are painting literally every wall in the entire four story building. We had to sell off most of the furniture. Everything was outdated, and you know how I feel about that.”

Kara smiled and said, “CatCo is always on top of the latest trends.”

Cat lifted her free hand in a questioning gesture. “Right? I couldn’t believe this place. The bullpen was a wreck.” This was the first time Cat had been able to vent about her trip thus far. “There were cubicles in the bullpen, Kara. Cubicles. Who has cubicles anymore? We are a business built on communication. We can’t have little walls up between each other. I mean, honestly, who has cubicles in their office anymore?” 

Kara hung on every word. She could see the familiar look of disdain on Cat’s face in her mind. She smiled bigger every time Cat said the word 'cubicles.’ She missed her so much. 

“And they had all their records just sitting on shelves in a corner of the bullpen. Half of the fourth floor isn’t even being used and they have all their past magazine issues, tax records, and employee files sitting out there. Daniel did a fantastic job creating a storage space, thankfully.”

“Daniel?” Kara questioned.

“Daniel Martínez. The bright spot in the dingy office. He’s head of the news division. I like him. He’s smart and he’s helping rally the troops.” She paused and said, “I'll have to send you a picture of the white board.”

“The white board?” Kara questioned again. 

“We made a huge list of all the things that we have to get done at CatCo Spain. It’s all written on a big white board that we put in the bullpen so everyone can see it. We cross each item out when it’s done.”

Kara went quiet upon hearing just how much work had to be done. She could only think of how long it meant Cat would be gone. Cat realized what Kara must be thinking and reversed her the course of the conversation. “Tell me about you,” she said. 

Kara smiled again, but only a little. “I’m good. Everything is good at CatCo.” She smiled fully and said, “You have a lot of meetings. All the time.” 

Cat breathed out a laugh. “Don’t I know it. But I don’t want to hear about work. I want to hear about you.”

Kara laid her head back down on her pillow. “I’m okay. Stressed, I guess. But it’s nothing I can’t handle.” She hesitated before adding, “It would be easier if you were here.”

They were quiet for a minute. Cat was trying to think of something to make Kara smile. All she could manage was, “I don’t think there are any pot stickers in this entire country.”

It did the trick. Kara smiled widely. She loved that Cat had spent the last few months learning the things she liked. 

“That is a tragedy. I know you just love them.”

“They are literal balls of grease.”

“No they’re not!” Kara said, exasperated. Then she added, “You know you like them. I can bring you some if you want.” She immediately shut her eyes tight and scrunching her face, catching her folly after it left her mouth. 

Cat could tell by the instant silence that Kara hadn’t meant to say it. She answered with, “I’m sure you could. I might hold you to that if this trip gets too long and you have an extra day.”

The unsaid stretched between them. Then a moment later, they picked up their conversation again. They talked for a long time, about everything. They made each other laugh and smile. It was a much needed respite from the stress plaguing them both. 

Cat sat on her balcony watching the afternoon clouds roll by while Kara laid in her bed watching the sun come up outside her bedroom window. 

Finally, after they had exhausted every topic they could think of to talk about, Cat said, “Well, I should get back to this stack of files.”

Kara nodded. Then remembered that they weren’t in the same room and said, “Okay. Can we talk again soon?” 

“I would love that,” Cat replied. 

“Then I’ll talk to you soon.”

She didn’t want to, but Cat simply said, “Bye, Kara.”

“Bye, Cat.”

They hung up feeling like the distance had been lessened somewhat. But at the same time it seemed even greater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: things get heated at CatCo Spain. Alex and Kara have a talk.


	3. A Jet Plane Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, for those of you from Spain, or have ever lived there, please forgive my lack of knowledge. And, please, please continue to give me correction and guidance.

“No,” Cat said, with her hands on her hips and a firm look on her features. 

Hugo Sanchez just looked at her like she was being unreasonable. He asked her, “How can you just say no?” Then he asked, “Isn’t it important that we take a stand?”

“No,” Cat said again, a little louder. “Señor Sanchez, this is the third time you have brought this up and the answer is still no. CatCo takes no position on matters of politics. We report all sides of the news with equal fervor. This has always been CatCo’s policy.”

Hugo shook his head. The rest of the senior staff could feel the tension between the two. They were all crammed into Cat’s small office in the corner of the bullpen. The silence stretched out as Cat waited for Hugo’s inevitable reaction. He wouldn’t let it go. 

“Ms. Grant, many other major news outlets endorse political sides. We would gain support if we took the popular side,” Hugo kept arguing. But Cat knew he was only arguing his own personal position. 

“Hugo,” Cat tried to be patient, “first of all, whenever a news organization takes a stand either way, we alienate people and that is not what we are about. Second, this is a time in Spain’s political history when the people need to feel like the media is on their side, not on the side of some bureaucratic engine that they have no power to control.” A few staffers nodded their agreement at that. 

Cat continued with, “No, we will report on all sides and on every argument. If one of you feels a passion toward one way or another, you can write it. But CatCo will not advocate. We report the facts. All the facts. Not commentary.” She looked around the room. “Understood?” Everyone nodded. Except Hugo.

Cat waved her hands dismissively and they began filtering out. She shook her head and she watched Hugo walk back to his desk. He was clearly upset. 

“You know, it is not customary to so sharply dismiss someone’s ideas here.” Daniel had stayed behind. He shrugged. “We like to talk things out.”

Cat snapped her head toward him. “Daniel,” she said, “talking things out is what created the mess here.” She sat down at her desk. “A team needs leadership. Sometimes you have to shut down distraction. If Hugo wants to write a piece on Socialism, he is more than welcome to, as long as it doesn’t say that everyone should be socialist.” She looked up at Daniel. “Surely, you agree with that.”

He nodded his head. “I do.” Then he added, “I'll talk to him.” 

Cat nodded and turned to her computer. The second week was almost over. Progress had certainly been made. Every content meeting was filled with better and better ideas. She was pushing every journalist a little harder every day. She had been shocked at the lack of research in past editions of CatCo Spain’s newspaper and magazine. Many articles were filled with commentary and sounded contrived. 

At the beginning of the week, she spent an entire day with only the writers going over what amounted to Journalism 101. There had been absolutely no guidance for the last several years and, though the writers were talented, they were young. They made her think of Kara. They were so full of zeal and good ideas, but no one had shown them how to bring it to fruition in a productive and thought provoking way. 

After a few hours, Cat eventually looked up to see the interior remodeling crew hauling their equipment out of the office floor and onto the elevator. Cat quickly rose from her desk and walked out of her office and down the hall along the side of the bullpen. She smiled as another crew member passed by carrying a tool box and some cleaning supplies. 

She walked into the large room they had been working on. She stood in the doorway and leaned against the frame, appraising the room with a smile. It would be their new conference room. Perfect for staff meetings or board meetings. No more being stuck together like sardines in a can in Cat's office. The floors were light wood, which would eventually be through the whole floor. The walls were painted with a trendy light pallet. Cat had hand picked several of CatCo Spain’s most popular past magazine issues and had the covers framed and hung through the room. The window had been knocked out and enlarged. The furniture was streamlined. It looked good. 

The contractor came up beside her and said, “Uno menos.”

She looked at him apologetically. Then she heard Daniel say, “He says ‘that’s one down.’”

“Tell him it looks wonderful.”

Daniel told him. “Gracias,” the contractor said and Cat nodded to him. He left and Daniel took his place beside her. 

“It looks good,” Daniel said. “Have you seen the lobby? It’s almost finished.”

“Good,” was all Cat said. She pushed off the door frame and walked back into the bullpen. Some people watched her as she walked up to the white board and picked up the marker. She scrawled a thick line through ‘sala de conferencias.’ Then she walked back to her office and continued her work. 

Later that evening, everyone had left. Daniel knocked at her door and she looked up. “It's getting late,” he said. “Let me give you a ride to your hotel.” Cat looked back to the computer, debating whether to stay, then looked back to him. She nodded. 

After gathering her things, she walked out of her office and toward the elevator. She stopped in front of the white board and looked at it. Then she took out her cell phone and snapped a picture. 

Daniel asked her, “What was that for?”

“Someone at home,” she said. “I want her to see how much we’ve already done.”

“Ah,” Daniel smiled knowingly. “Is this a special someone?”

Cat nodded. “Yes. She’s very special.” He nodded back. Then Cat asked him, “You’re married, right?” He nodded again. “I hope your wife doesn’t hate me for all the time you’ve been spending up here.”

“On the contrary,” he said. “She is one of the television broadcasters on the third floor.” 

“What?” Cat smiled at him. “You’re kidding.”

“No, she has been here for almost ten years. She was happy when Seniõr Rodriguez quit. She never liked him. She’s happy you’re here to help.”

Cat shook her head, a little surprised. “Well, she sounds like someone I should talk to.” The television news broadcasting department was the only bright spot Cat had seen walking in. They gave a top tier news broadcast twenty four hours a day. 

When she got back to her hotel, Cat sat down on the bed and pulled her phone out again. She brought up the photo of the white board and sent it to Kara with the message, _‘Here is the board I was telling you about. Every line is one step closer to home.’_

A few minutes later, Cat’s phone alerted her to the response. Kara just said, _‘Hurry.’_

Cat smiled a sad smile and replied, _‘I promise I’m trying, darling.’_  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Half way around the world, on the west coast of the United States, Kara smiled at the word ‘darling.’ Cat had been typing it more and more. She put her phone down and checked the time. She was waiting for Alex to come and meet her for a late lunch. 

She sighed and hung her head. She opened her email on her computer and started aimlessly looking over all the things she needed to get done before the end of the day. She was having problems balancing things. Yesterday she had gotten called out for super duty just before a meeting with two board members. She’d had to leave them to reschedule with Rachel. It was unprofessional but she didn’t have a choice. 

She didn’t want to let Cat down. She didn’t want to let anyone down. So she went on burning the candle at both ends. She was doing her own job, in which she had just started researching and outlining her next article. She was doing part of Cat’s unbelievably time consuming job, and she was trying to execute her responsibilities as the resident superhero. 

She needed a break. 

Just then, she heard a knock on the door. She had finally pushed aside the idea of seeing Cat’s face when she looked up. But she did see Alex’s, which was friendly and undemanding. 

“Hey, sis, ready for lunch?” Alex asked her. Kara gave her a weak smile. Alex immediately knit her eye brows together in concern. “Hey, what is it?”

Kara handed Alex her phone with Cat’s message on the screen. Alex read over it and her look of concern changed into a cute puppy face. “Aw, she called you darling,” Alex said. 

“Yeah, but look at the picture.” Alex tapped the photo and opened it. She understood Kara’s downcast demeanor. There were more items on the white board list that were uncrossed than crossed.

“Kara, you know she’s working as hard as she can,” Alex tried to reassure her. “And once the ball really gets rolling, things will get marked off this list much faster.”

Kara nodded. She was quiet for a bit and said, “I feel so ridiculous, Alex.”

“Why?” Alex sat down in one of Kara’s office chairs as she asked. 

“Because nothing is even going on between us and I miss her like crazy. It’s childish,” Kara was getting frustrated. With herself, with Cat being gone, with work, with everything. “Isn’t it?” She looked at Alex. 

“First,” Alex said, holding up the phone, “there is clearly something between you two. Second, it’s not childish.” Alex slid the phone across Kara’s desk to her. Then she added, “And it’s really cute that she calls you darling.” 

Kara did smile at that. “She’s been doing it a lot. I don’t even know if she realizes it.” She paused before she said, “You know, I feel like we were right on the brink before she left.”

Alex could see how much Cat’s absence had been affecting Kara. She had been quiet and a little withdrawn. It wasn’t the Kara that Alex was accustomed to at all. She maintained all her responsibilities well, but she wasn’t happy go lucky Kara Danvers. 

Alex asked her, “Do you really think the two of you could have something special?”

Kara looked at her and said, sincerely, “I’ve never met anyone I could see myself with forever. But, Cat, Alex? She’s like, I don’t know,” Kara tried to think of the right words. “She’s like magic. She’s fascinating and captivating. I never know what’s coming next with her.” Kara smiled a little thinking of it. “But at the same time, she’s predictable and honest. She’s smart and beautiful. And she understands parts of me like no one else.” She leaned toward Alex and added, “No, I don’t just think we could have something special, I know we would.”

Alex smiled a little back to her sister. “She’s kind of a lot, Kara. I mean, the Queen of all Media? Could you pick anyone harder to be in a relationship with?” She knew Kara cared for Cat and vise versa, but she worried for Kara. 

“Alex,” Kara gave her a pointed look. “I can fly and I’m from another planet. I’m a freakin' superhero. Do you think it’s going to be easy for her to be a relationship with me?”

“That’s a good point,” Alex pointed at her. “Maybe you two are actually the only ones that can handle each other.”

Then Kara pointed at her. “Exactly.”

They were quiet for a minute, then Alex said, softly, “You could go see her, you know.” 

Kara gave her a sideways look. “Don’t think I haven’t thought about it. But she wouldn’t want that.”

“Why not?”

“She would want me to stay focused, like she is. She would want me to take care of things here,” Kara told her. 

“Kara,” Alex said, “this place isn’t going to fall apart if you leave for one day.”

“Yeah, but CatCo Spain might fall apart if I take Cat away from it for one day.” She paused again, thinking. “No, Cat and I both need to stay focused. At least for now. Besides, she said if the trip went too long, she would come home to visit Carter.”

“And you?” Alex raised an eye brow. 

Kara just looked at her and sighed, forlornly. “I hope so.”

Alex nodded. “Come on. Food always makes you feel better.” She stood and walked around the desk, grabbing Kara’s arm and pulling her along.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

“What the hell is this?!” Cat yelled across the bullpen, her eyes pinned to Hugo Sanchez. She was holding up a couple pieces of paper. Her eyes were wide with anger. 

Hugo glanced around and sat lower in his chair. He knew he was caught. 

Cat stalked over to him. “Are you so stupid as to think that I’m not personally approving every piece of content that we are publishing during this transition?” She came to stand in front of him and he stood too. She certainly wasn’t intimidated. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “Did you think you could get away with this?” She slammed the pieces of paper down on his desk. It was an article that he had submitted to print without running by her. 

Hugo spoke firmly when he said, “I think journalists should be able to write what they want.”

She raised her voice again when she said, “There are media outlets out there where you can do that. This is not one of them. You don’t speak for everyone here,” she gestured around to everyone else in the room. “If you want to try to single handedly revive socialism in Spain, that’s fine. But you will not use CatCo to do it.”

She lowered her voice again and said in a dismissive manner, “Pack your things, you’re fired.” She turned to walk back to her office.

Hugo was shocked. “You can’t fire me!” He was incredulous. 

Cat stopped and slowly turned back toward him. She took slow steps to stand back in front of him. She was so angry, she dared not to talk above a whisper lest she completely lose it. “Do you know where the ‘Cat’ in CatCo came from? I assume you do.” Hugo turned his eyes away from her. She was very intimidating for such a small person. Cat stepped into his space and continued with, “I can fire anyone, anywhere, anytime, for any reason I want to.” She paused before finishing with, “Now get out.”

She turned her back to him and went back inside her office. She started working like normal, very much aware of all the eyes watching her through the glass walls of the small corner office. She needed to look like she was absolutely sure she had done the right thing. Which, of course, she had. 

She checked the time. Early afternoon. It’s too early to call Kara, she thought to herself. But she was suddenly desperate to hear her voice. She glanced up and saw Hugo angrily shuffling around his desk, tossing items into a box. If a reporter in Cat’s office at home had tried to slip something so biased by her, she wouldn’t only fire them, she would make sure they never worked in journalism again. 

She sat there, trying to calm herself. Finally, Hugo picked up his box and quickly walked off the floor. Cat watched him go. She noticed it was quiet in the bullpen. She rose from her seat and smoothed out her dress. 

She came back into the bullpen with an authoritative expression. She said, “This is reality, people.” She heard a few people whisper and interpretation to their co workers. “CatCo is the greatest media outlet in the world. If you can’t work here and respect that, then you need to leave. If you can’t get on board with the policies, you don’t need to be here. If you want to work someplace exceptional, then we keep chipping away at this,” she pointed toward the white board. Leaving it at that, everyone went back to work. 

A few hours later, her cell phone chimed an alarm. She grabbed it roughly, still frustrated by the events earlier. But when she looked at the screen, her face softened and she immediately tapped the phone to open the message. 

_‘Good morning :-),_ ’ Kara had sent. 

Cat smiled brightly. She quickly typed back, _‘Good evening. And I refuse to use emojis.’_ She closed her eyes and tried to imagine Kara’s face. She had probably just sat down at her desk, breakfast in hand. Another alert broke her thoughts. 

_‘It's only 8 am and I already can’t stop thinking about you today.’_

Cat couldn’t help the little flutter she felt. They had been more and more open in their correspondence. Cat thought it was a little immature, flirting via SMS. But a part of her loved it. 

She must have waited too long to respond because Kara sent, _‘Was that too much?’_

Cat was still smiling. _‘No. It just made me miss you.’_ She hit send and typed again. _‘I had to fire someone today.’_

After a couple minutes the response came. _‘I'm sorry, Cat. I know you don’t enjoy that.’_

_‘I did with Siobhan *insert smiley face emoji that I refuse to use.’_

Kara sent back _‘Lol!’_

Right then, Daniel came to her door and caught her eye. Cat instantly put her smile away and cleared her throat. But it was too late. “I didn’t know you could smile like that, Ms. Grant,” he said sarcastically. 

She glared at him and he laughed. They watched as a few last people left the office for the day. “I'm sorry about Hugo,” Daniel said. “He should have been fired a long time ago.”

“Then why didn’t you fire him?” Cat shot back at him. “You’re in charge of his department.”

Daniel sighed. “I'm afraid that over the last few years I had been losing my passion for the news.” 

Cat raised an eyebrow. “Had been?”

He nodded. “Yes, but these last few weeks, you have reminded me why I got into this business all those years ago. There will not be another Hugo Sanchez in this office. I promise you that.”

“Thank you, Daniel.”

She went back to her work, but Daniel remained standing at the door. She looked back up. “Was there something else?”

He waited, then he said, “It’s been almost three weeks. Maybe it’s time to take a break.”

Cat asked, “What do you mean?”

“The remodel crew will be here all weekend working on this floor. It will be a loud mess. You won’t be able to work here.” He was right. They were paying a pretty penny for the crew to come at end of day Friday and work twenty four hours a day until start of day Monday. “Ms. Grant,” Daniel said. “Go home. See your son.” He paused and smiled. Then added, “See your special someone. Take a few days. Check on your home office. Come back reenergized.” 

Cat just sighed and sat back in her chair. She wanted to. She missed Carter terribly and, although she loved all the selfies he kept sending her, it was a poor substitute for wrapping her arms around him and tucking his head under her chin. He was getting so tall, she wouldn’t be able to do it much longer. 

And Kara. 

She looked at Daniel. One side of her lips quirked up in a small smile. “Raquel.” She waved the girl in. 

“Yes, Ms. Grant?” 

“Have the CatCo jet standing by to take me back to National City first thing in the morning,” Cat told her.

“Yes, Ms. Grant. Should I call ahead and make sure they know you’re coming?”

“No, no,” Cat told her. “Don’t call anyone.” She smiled to herself. She wanted it to be a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Danvers-Grant family time.


	4. The Right Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, this whole chapter is Cat and Kara trying to have their first kiss.
> 
> Also, I intended to have more Carter here, but this chapter was getting so long I had to cut it back. Sorry :-( I love that guy.

Cat stepped off the jet with a spring in her step. Despite the almost twelve hour trip, she felt energized. She had left Madrid early in the morning and found herself in National City at almost the same time she had left. This time around she was grateful for the time change. She had gained almost a whole day. She knew she would be paying for it by the time her head hit her pillow tonight, but she didn’t mind. At least it would be her pillow. 

Her driver was there to meet her with a genuine smile. “Welcome back, Ms. Grant,” he said, cheerfully. 

“Thank you, David, it’s very good to be back,” she returned his smile easily and quickly climbed into the backseat of the car. David almost didn’t have time to open it for her. He rushed to put her bags in the trunk. When he came to sit in the driver’s seat, Cat told him, “Get me to my building as quickly as possible.” 

He nodded, but asked her, “Straight to work, Ms. Grant?”

Cat could see the city’s skyline from the car. She could just make out CatCo’s building. It towered above most of the others. “Not really,” she answered him, her eyes fixed downtown. 

David glanced to the rear view mirror, noticing the small smile that seemed permanently fixed on her lips since she had emerged from the plane. In all his time as her driver he couldn’t remember seeing her more eager. “Miss Danvers was certainly happy to be able to drive you last month,” he said, after a few minutes. 

David enjoyed the privilege of being able to talk more freely with Cat than most of her other employees. He saw her at her weakest moments, when she was tired from long days or stressed over work. He was always quick to offer an encouraging word and Cat always appreciated it, so she didn’t mind sharing snippets of her life with him from time to time. 

She met his eyes in the mirror and smiled a little more at his knowing look. “I’m glad she was able to,” was all she said. It was enough of a confirmation for him to understand. 

When they finally arrived at CatCo, Cat didn’t wait for David to come around to open her door. She got out of the car and walked as quickly as she could through the front doors. She went across the lobby and approached her private elevator. 

She pressed her access code and the door opened. She looked inside before stepping in, observing the custom design and cool lighting. She walked over the threshold, almost reverently. The doors closed and she leaned against the wall of the small space. She’d forgotten how much she loved this elevator. It always smelled clean and fresh and she never had to worry about bumping elbows.

She took a deep breath and pressed thirty-eight. The thirty-eighth floor was occupied by a law firm. She could get out there and take the stairs to the fortieth floor, CatCo’s main office floor, without being seen. 

She rode up in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to see Kara. She tried to think of how to sneak up on someone with super hearing. She was avoiding stepping out onto the main floor because she knew that if anyone said her name, Kara would hear. 

The elevator stopped on the thirty-eighth floor. Cat got out and immediately turned left and went across the small elevator lobby and opened the door to the stairwell, ignoring the confused look from the law office’s receptionist. 

Her heart started beating faster with every step. She came to stand in front of the door marked ‘40.’ The private office hallway off the bullpen would be right through this door. No one would be able to see her slip in unless they were at the elevators. 

She took a deep breath, in and out. Then she took another one, slower. She needed to calm down, lest she give herself away. 

She lightly put her hand on the door handle, pressing down on the lock release with her thumb as slowly as she could so Kara wouldn’t hear the latch. Then she silently slipped through the door, returning the latch to its position just as slowly and quietly. 

She breathed in and out through her mouth as she took steps on her tip toes down the hallway of private offices. Kara’s was at the end. 

She felt excitement welling inside her. They had been so close to shifting their relationship onto a new course before she had left. Then all the weeks of emails, flirty texts, and phone calls that lasted late into the night. Cat laid awake at night imagining Kara’s face in her mind just to try to feel close to her. And now, here she was, creeping through her own building to get a secret glimpse of Kara. 

After slow, calculated steps, Cat stealthily came up beside the door frame of Kara’s office. The door was ajar. She slowly peeked in and saw Kara, sitting at her desk, facing her computer. Her back was almost turned to Cat and Cat had to force herself not to make a sound. 

She just watched. Kara was typing some numbers into a form on the computer. Cat realized she was transferring data from a hard copy to a digital copy. It was an accounting document, Cat saw from the screen. It was part of her job that Kara had picked up while she was away. Cat was suddenly aware of the full load that Kara had, no doubt, been carrying in her absence. 

As Kara typed, Cat took her in. Her hair was pulled up in the front, but it fell across her shoulders in the back and it moved a little each time Kara turned her head to look from the paper to the screen. Cat watched as she typed quickly and sure, never having to back space to fix a mistake. She watched Kara absentmindedly reach over and pick up her coffee cup to take a sip and then set it back down. 

God, she’s beautiful, Cat thought. And she couldn’t even see her face. Finally, Cat couldn’t contain herself any longer. She reached up and lightly knocked at the door. 

Kara slowly turned with her eyes alert to whoever might be at her door. Then she froze. 

Cat watched as her lips parted and her eyes widened behind her glasses. She looked like she might cry. She stared at Cat for a few full seconds. Then she whispered, “Is that really you?” Cat just smiled widely at her. Still whispering, Kara said, “Because I’ve imagined you standing there a hundred times and it is entirely possible that this is my mind playing a trick on me.”

Cat decided to put her out of her mental misery and simply said, “Come here.” Instantly, Kara beamed as if she really were afraid that Cat was only an apparition. 

She shot out of her chair and around her desk, throwing her arms around Cat's shoulders. “Oh,” Cat let out a surprised sound. She knew there would be a hug. This was Kara Danvers, after all. But this was more of a fierce embrace. Kara was holding onto her for dear life. 

Cat instinctively dropped her purse and wrapped her arms around Kara’s torso. She buried her head in the crook of Kara’s neck and pulled her close. They held onto each other, tight. It was the second time they’d held each other. The first had been much too short. And for Cat, was more of a goodbye. She was confident that Kara would make it through Myriad, but she wasn’t sure about herself. But this? This felt like a hello. This felt like what coming home after a long trip was supposed to feel like. Someone’s arms around you, all being right with the world simply because you’re together. 

Kara let out a laugh, not yet letting go. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she said, breathing in the familiar scent of Cat’s hair. 

Cat didn’t want to break the magic of the moment, but she said, “It’s only for the weekend.” She felt Kara nod against her forehead, still tucked into Kara’s neck.

“That’s okay. I needed this. Let’s just stay like this for a minute.” Kara pulled her tighter. Cat couldn’t remember feeling more secure or cared for.

They finally pulled apart and looked at each other, not sure what to do next. They had talked about this a couple times on those late night calls. The awkwardness of a relationship changing over a long distance. Knowing Cat’s tendency to distance herself from uncomfortable situations, Kara did what she always did when Cat came into her office. She moved the two chairs in front of her desk to face each other and motioned for Cat to sit. 

As they sat, Kara asked, “Have you seen Carter yet?”

Cat shook her head. “No, he’s at day camp. I came straight here.” Kara gathered the words unsaid in the response. The first thing Cat wanted to do was see her. “I'll go get him for the weekend when I leave here.” Kara gathered the unsaid words there, too. She came home for Carter. Of course she did, Kara thought, he’s her son.

Kara nodded, “Of course.”

Cat saw the imperceptible look of disappointment flash across her face. Anyone else would have missed it. “But I was hoping you and James could get me up to speed on what’s been happening here.” She paused before saying, “Mostly you.” They both smiled at that. Cat hesitated for a second, then she asked, “And I was wondering if you wanted to come have lunch with us on Sunday?”

Kara immediately perked up, “I would love that.” She tried not to sound too enthusiastic. “I mean, if you’re sure. I wouldn’t want to interrupt your time with Carter.”

“You wouldn’t be,” Cat reassured her. “And I think we need to spend some time together.” 

Kara could only nod her agreement. She knew she had missed Cat, but seeing her here, now, she was almost overcome with emotion. Of the two of them, Kara was certainly the more emotional one. But Cat didn’t mind it. She admired it, in fact. After so many years in business, Cat had learned to be firm and unreadable. Not because she wasn’t emotional, but because she had to be in control of herself at all times to be the best at every aspect of her job. 

But when she was around Kara, she felt herself slipping. It was a little scary, allowing the constant control to slowly leave her. But at the same time, it was relieving. She longed to let someone in. Someone who would stay. 

Kara quickly reached out and took her hand. Cat clutched it tight and told her, “I missed you.” Then she reached out her other hand and took Kara’s free hand. They sat there together, leaning forward, just holding each other’s hands. 

Kara took a deep breath and told herself that the mushy stuff could wait until Sunday. “Okay, well, what did you want to get done here?”

Cat stroked her hands with her thumbs a little and thought before answering. She had been keeping up with CatCo’s publications while she was gone. Everything had looked good. This place really was a well oiled machine. 

Releasing Kara’s hands, and sitting back, she asked, “How’s the board?” 

Kara sighed, “Well,” she said, “there has been a little backlash about the meta human article. Not everyone agrees with the content. Which we knew would happen.” She hadn’t mentioned the board members calling her several times, demanding a meeting with Cat. Obviously, that couldn’t happen, and Kara had been doing her best not to bother Cat so she could focus on Spain. 

“I’ll set up a video conference with them,” Cat told her. “Let’s go to my office.”

A couple minutes later, Cat and Kara were walking through the bullpen together, shoulder to shoulder, like always. People looked up giving Cat enthusiastic smiles. For all of her toughness, her employees genuinely liked her. “A lot of people are going to have questions for you,” Kara was saying, “There was only so much James and I could sign off on.”

Cat just nodded as she approached her office. Rachel stood with a smile when she saw Cat coming. “Good morning, Ms. Grant,” she said, cheerfully, happy to see her boss. “It's good to see you.”

Surprisingly, Cat looked her in the eye and returned the smile and said, “It’s good too see you, too, Rachel.” She pulled out a key to unlock the door. Kara and Rachel shared a disbelieving look. Kara looked over to James’ office and caught his eye. When he saw Cat, he rushed out to meet them. 

Cat opened the door and walked into her office, turning on the light. She stood in the doorway, looking around. Kara and James stayed a few steps behind, letting her have a moment. 

Cat walked in slowly. She looked over the sofas and the coffee table. Everything was in its place. She walked over to her desk and ran her fingers along it and as she walked around. Her eyes scanned everything. Kara couldn’t help but smile a little as she watched her. 

Cat’s eyes went over to the balcony door. She walked over and opened it, stepping outside. Kara and James stayed put. They knew it was Cat’s safe haven. 

Cat walked over to the edge and looked over the city. She loved this place. She loved everything about it. She took a deep breath, taking in the humid Pacific air. She ruffled her hair with her fingers a bit in the breeze. Then she turned to go back in, leaving the door open. 

She walked back in with purpose and with her hips swaying. There she is, Kara thought. She looked at the two of them just watching her. She gave them a sarcastic look and pointed toward the sofa, barely moving her hand, “Sit,” was all she said. 

“Oh,” Kara said, as James simultaneously said, “Right.” They quickly moved to sit. Cat rolled her eyes for effect and sat on the opposite sofa. 

The three spent the next couple hours going over CatCo business. Employees came in throughout the time with questions for Cat. She patiently endured the interruptions. It was almost lunch time when Cat started wrapping up. “Is anyone giving you any problems on content?” She asked them.

They looked at each other and smiled a little. Kara riffled through some papers as James said, “Content has not been a problem,” Kara handed him several papers and he continued, “We are still working through your very extensive list of suggested content.” 

“Oh,” Cat raise her eye brows and smiled at her own handiwork. She had left every journalist in the place enough work to last them months. She looked at Kara. “Tell me more about the board.”

“Well,” she started and then looked to James. 

“They keep asking when you’ll be back,” he picked up. “They think it’s irresponsible for you to be gone this long.”

Cat tilted her head at that. They weren’t completely wrong. She sighed. 

James asked, “Are you making progress in Madrid, Ms. Grant?” 

Cat nodded as she noticed Kara’s concerned look, mirroring the same question. “Yes, James. Considerable progress. But there are still some things to do.” She looked at Kara as if directing the answer at her. 

Kara said under her breath. “I could’ve had the whole place demolished and rebuilt on my own by now.” James gave her a pointed look and Kara looked at him and her eyes widened, realizing she had said it out loud. She didn’t bother to cover up the slip like she usually did. 

Cat looked at her. Then she understood. Kara was just as tired of the secret as she was. So she tried to cover for her and acted like the comment meant nothing so at least James wouldn’t get on to her later. “Yes, well, the remodel should be just about done when I get back.” 

After another few minutes, James went back to his office and Kara followed Cat out to the balcony. They were silent for a bit when Kara moved her feet to stand close enough to Cat to take her hand. The move made Cat look up to meet Kara’s eyes. 

“It is so good to see you,” Kara said. “Even if it’s just for a few hours.”

Cat turned to face her and let go of her hand, instead opting to rest her hands on Kara’s hips. “I want to talk about all this Kara,” she said, indicating the space between them. “I wish we could lock ourselves away, but I have to get Carter.”

Kara gave her a weak smile. “Me too. I understand, though, and I want you spend time with Carter.” Kara knew Cat well enough to know that she wasn’t one to rush into anything, no matter how much she wanted to. She would have to be patient with Cat. And she was okay with that. So instead of making the move she wanted to, she just put her arms around Cat and held her for a moment. 

“Thank you for understanding,” Cat said quietly. When they pulled apart, Cat asked, “You’ll come over Sunday?”

Kara smiled brightly then. “Absolutely.” 

“Okay, I’ll see you then.” Cat had to tear herself out of Kara’s arms right then or she knew she wouldn’t leave.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

The weekend dragged by for both of them. Alex spent as much of Saturday as she could with Kara, knowing how difficult it was for Kara to have Cat be in the city but not be able to see her. 

Cat focused all her energy on Carter, wrapping him up and tucking his head under her chin as many times as he allowed her. He was happy to see his mom and it made the couple days pass quicker for her, but she found her mind wandering to Kara every free moment she had. 

Saturday night came and Cat was laying awake in her bed. She rolled over for the twentieth time and stared at the ceiling. She checked the time. It was after midnight. She sighed, sharply, annoyed. She turned her head to her phone laying on her nightstand. She felt childish at the urge to text Kara. She looked back to the ceiling. Then she looked back to the phone. Back to the ceiling. 

With a huff she roughly grabbed her phone. She typed a message and took a breath before hitting the send button. 

Across town, Kara was laying on her side watching the digital minutes click by on her bedside clock when her phone dinged an alert. She jumped a little at the unexpected sound. She quickly picked up the phone, thinking it was for Supergirl. She smiled instantly when she saw a message from Cat. 

_‘I can’t sleep.’_

Kara smiled more and had to keep herself from laughing with girly glee. She quickly typed back, _‘Me neither.’_

She waited. Cat responded, _‘I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.’_

Kara simply said, _‘Me too.’_ Kara waited. When no response came, she figured Cat was trying to sleep. Then she got another alert. 

_‘This thing between us makes me feel silly.’_

Kara understood. Well, at least she could empathize. Cat was the most reasonable person she knew. Everything Cat did and said always made sense. It was always thought out. But the two of them? On paper, it didn’t make sense. And Kara knew it made Cat feel out of control. 

She tried to think of something reassuring to say. She smiled as she typed, _‘I know, but isn’t it at least a little fun to feel a little silly?’_

She didn’t see Cat’s lips quirk up into a smile across the city. But she got Cat’s response. _‘Yes. Yes, it is.’_

Sleep eluded both of them. 

Sunday morning finally came. Cat spent the morning cooking everything she knew Kara liked. It ranged from cinnamon rolls to pot stickers to homemade pizza. 

Carter helped. He was excited about Kara coming over. And he was no fool. He knew that, because his mom only had a few days at home, going to this much trouble meant something special. 

Around noon, they heard the doorbell ring. Carter shouted, “I’ll get it!”

Cat laughed, “I’m right here, I can hear you.” She washed her hands while Carter got the door. She dried them and put the towel down. She put her hands on her stomach and took a couple deep breathes, calming herself. 

She heard the sound of Kara’s familiar laughter and her anxiousness left her. She smiled as she watched Carter pulling Kara across the living room and toward the kitchen. 

“Check it out,” Carter was telling her. “Mom’s been in here all morning.” Kara’s eyes went wide as she saw the feast Cat had prepared, laid out on the kitchen island, warm and waiting for her. 

Kara joked, “You made all this? Yourself?” 

“Stop,” Cat said, with a scolding look. “I'm a good cook.” She walked up to Kara, instinctively taking her hand and leaning up to place a gentle kiss on Kara’s cheek. 

Kara was surprised. She looked at Cat, the surprise evident on her face, but Cat just smiled at her. She felt a tingle on her cheek and pressed her lips together with her smile, feeling a blush come over her. She got shy and looked away for a second.

“Let’s eat!” Carter had been holding himself back from the feast all morning. Cat and Kara laughed and they all started gathering food onto their plates. Kara saw both the formal dining room through one door and then the breakfast nook off to the side of the kitchen. She wasn’t sure where to go so she waited for Cat. Cat walked over to the smaller table next to the windows. She pulled out the seat next to her and indicated with her eyes for Kara to sit. 

Once they were all seated, they dug in. Kara went first for the homemade pot stickers. They were amazing. She had to force herself to chew and swallow before complimenting Cat. Talking while chewing certainly wouldn’t impress the more worldly woman. 

“Cat, this is amazing,” Kara said sincerely. It was, by far, the best meal she’d had in months. 

“I’m glad you like it,” she said back. “I know you’ve been working long hours. I can’t let you waste away.” Cat looked at Carter and told him, “Kara’s been filling in for me at CatCo while I’ve been gone.”

Carter tossed her a sympathetic look and said, “Sorry.”

“Hey!” Cat was insulted. Kara laughed. “I do a lot of cool things at my job.”

“It’s true,” Kara interjected. “Do you remember all the new play grounds that were installed at schools around the city?” Carter nodded. “That was your mom.”

“I didn’t know that,” he said, giving her a surprised look. 

“Yep,” Kara continued. “And do you remember all those bad guys that got arrested a few months ago at city hall?”

“Yeah,” Carter said, “we talked about that in social studies.”

“Well, CatCo did investigations that led the police to those bad guys. So that was your mom, too.” Kara looked over to Cat, who looked a little dumbfounded. Kara proudly said, “Your mom’s job is very important, Carter.”

“Thank you,” Cat said quietly. Kara simply smiled at her. 

They had started staring at each other when Carter broke in. “Are you doing the same things in Spain?”

Cat hesitated, distracted by Kara’s compliment. “Uh, not yet, dear. That’s why I’m there. So I can help them start doing things like that.”

“How much longer until they can do it themselves?” Carter’s voice became less enthusiastic. It made Cat’s face turn sad. 

“Not long,” was all she said. Truth be told, she had no idea. 

When Kara saw the mood become somber, she was quick to ask Carter, “Hey, how’s the day camp you’re going to?”

He immediately perked back up. Then he launched into a detailed description of every day. He told them stories that made them both laugh. 

Cat reached under the table to squeeze Kara’s knee, silently thanking her for making Carter happy. Kara took her hand and held onto it. They both went on eating with one hand, perfectly content, listening to Carter talk. 

When they finished, Kara helped Cat clean up. They stood at the sink, washing and drying the dishes. Of course, Cat had a dishwasher, but when she saw Kara pick up a towel to dry, she opted for hand washing. They listened to the sound of Carter playing video games in the living room, talking with his friends over the internet. 

Cat and Kara were almost done with their task when Kara smiled to herself. She glanced over to Cat. Her blond her was draping her face, but Kara could see that her lips were quirked up a bit as well. Kara lightly bumped Cat with her hip, eliciting a wide smile. She looked up at Kara. 

Kara asked her, “What are you thinking about?”

Cat just looked at her. “You,” she said, softly. “And me.” Kara waited, seeing in her eyes that there was more. “I like this. You and me.” The words made Kara so happy. She could feel the blush coming back to her cheeks as Cat stepped a little closer. 

Just then, Carter rushed in. “Hey mom!” They both jumped a little. “Can I go out to the pool and swim?” 

Cat had to check her heart beat before answering. “Of course, sweetheart.” 

“Thanks,” he said and rushed upstairs to change clothes. 

The two looked at each other for a second and then started laughing. Kara put her arms around Cat and hugged her tightly for a moment. They finished cleaning up and went to sit in the living room as Carter ran out the door to go to the pool. 

Cat pulled Kara over to the sofa and they sat down, close. Cat told her, “We don’t have much time before I have to go back to Madrid and I have so much I want to talk about.”

Kara nodded, adjusting her glasses. “Me too, I-,”

But Cat cut her off. “What do you want from this?

“What?” Kara asked her, a little confused. 

“This,” Cat said, pointing back and forth between them. “What do you want? What are your intentions? Because if we’re not going the same direction, there’s no sense in going on the way we have been.” 

Kara just looked at her. Cat wasn’t being harsh. She wasn’t baiting Kara. She needed to know. She needed to hear Kara say it. Kara searched her eyes and understood. She opened her mouth to speak, but waited, a little afraid of saying the wrong thing. 

Then she said, “Cat, I want to be with you.” She let the words linger in the air for a few moments. “My intention is to wait for you to finish this thing in Spain. And then, when you get back, my intention is to kiss you like crazy every day for the rest of your life.” Her heart started beating faster. It wasn’t at all what she had meant to say. But it was, in fact, the truth. “Uh,” she tried to back track, thinking she’d said too much. “What I meant to say was that, I, um,” she couldn’t think of anything else. “I, uh.” 

Cat gave a big smile at the familiar sight of Kara bubbling over her words. It hadn’t happened in a while. While she watched Kara search for what to say, she leaned over and laid her head on Kara’s shoulder, immediately silencing her. 

Kara shifted to put her arms around Cat and lean back against the sofa. Cat moved her head to Kara’s chest. Kara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She reveled in the sensation of holding Cat against her like this. She put her fingers in Cat’s hair and lightly scratched her scalp. 

Cat lifted a hand to come up next her face on Kara’s chest. Kara reached her free hand up and covered Cat’s small hand with it, holding it to her. Cat listened to the strong elevated heart beat inside Kara. She kept her eyes closed, using her other senses to memorize the moment. The scent of Kara’s perfume. How the skin of her neck felt warm against the skin of Cat’s forehead. The light pressure of Kara’s hand over hers. The feeling of Kara’s finger nails running through her hair. The sound of their steady breathing. 

They didn’t talk for a while. They just needed to be close to each other. This was the closest they had ever been, the most they had ever touched. 

After what seemed like hours, Cat finally pulled back and sat up. Kara’s constantly warm body felt cold losing Cat’s touch against it. She looked at Cat, whose eyes were soft and caring. 

“We should talk about the one thing that you’ve been holding back from me,” Cat told her.

Kara smiled a small, innocent smile, though she knew exactly what Cat was referring to. Still, she felt like she had to tow the line. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said. 

Cat knew she would have to be patient. Kara had been keeping the secret from her for so long that she couldn’t just expect her to spill it. She gave Kara’s hand a little squeeze before she let go and reached up to run her finger tips from Kara’s temple to her chin.

Kara allowed her eyes to slip closed at Cat’s gentle contact. She was loving this, how sweet Cat had been all day. The light touches and hand holding, letting Kara wrap her arms around her. She knew that this was going to be the moment the secrecy ended, and she was grateful. The charade had become tiresome with Cat. And a little pointless since they both knew that they both knew. 

This was a stark contrast from the first time Cat had tried to get Kara to confess. A memory passed through Kara’s mind of Cat sitting on the sofa in her office looking at her with narrowed eyes while she answered a question with, ‘It depends. Show me your cape.’ Kara remembered the trepidation she felt all those months ago.

But this time, Cat wasn’t demanding that Kara reveal her secret. She was asking. It was a testament to how much Cat really had changed. She was still the same Cat, of course. Confident and sure. Hard headed and strong. But now, she was more open. More honest and sincere. And humble. But no matter what she showed the world, this, this tenderness, was only reserved for a precious few. 

When Kara finally opened her eyes, she saw Cat smiling at her. That beautiful closed mouth smile that she did where her eyes looked so soft. Cat looked in Kara’s eyes and saw that she was ready. So, with both hands, Cat reached up to lightly take Kara’s glasses. She slowly slipped them free from Kara’s face. Cat set them down and grazed the back of her fingers across Kara’s cheeks. 

The moment was quiet. Cat let her eyes roam over Kara face. Kara felt none of the anxiousness that she had in the past. She didn’t feel exposed. She didn’t feel hesitant. She felt relieved. 

Slowly, both of their smiles got bigger. They moved closer to each other and Kara lifted a hand to Cat’s face. They watched each other, making sure the moment was right and that they were both okay with moving forward. 

Cat moved her hand behind Kara’s neck and into her hair, easing her closer. They both kept glancing from eyes to lips and back again. They were close enough that their eyes closed. They could feel each other’s breath on their mouths…

Suddenly, the sound of Kara’s phone ringing filled the space, making them both jump for the second time that day. They pulled back quickly, alarmed. But they were still smiling at each other. 

“I’m so sorry,” Kara said quietly. “Terrible timing.” She reached over and pulled out her phone. 

Cat’s hands fell away and Kara cursed the device in her mind. She looked at the screen. It was Alex. She knew Alex wouldn’t have called her today if it wasn’t important. She closed her eyes for a second and let out a deep sigh, hanging her head. Cat knew immediately that their time today was over. 

“Speaking of Supergirl,” Kara said, looking at her apologetically. 

Cat reached out and took her hand, shaking her head a little and told her, “No, it’s okay.” She still had a small smile on her face and it reassured Kara. 

Kara answered the call, “Hey, Alex.” Pause. “No, it’s fine. Just tell me what’s going on.” Pause. “Yeah, she’s right here.” Pause. Then she looked at Cat and smiled herself. “Yeah, she knows.” Pause. Kara rolled her eyes. “Alex, I know you wouldn’t have called unless you had to. She’s fine.” Pause. “No, she’s not mad.” Kara smiled at Cat and they both appreciated that Alex was obviously feeling bad for interrupting. Pause. “Okay. Yeah, I’ll be right there.” She hung up and sighed again. “I have to go,” she said to Cat. 

Cat nodded. “It’s okay. We are both going to have to go at random times. And we will both have to be patient with one another.” Cat was stroking her hand with her thumb. Kara didn’t want to go. They sat like that for a few moments. Then Cat said, “Go.” 

“Right,” Kara replied. She stood. “Say bye to Carter for me?” Cat nodded again. “You, uh,” Kara gave a big smile. “You wanna see?” Cat’s eyes brightened. Her smile brightened and she nodded again. 

Kara took a couple steps back, pulling down her hair. Cat’s eyes went wide as Kara turned into a blur of blue and red. She was fascinated. Kara transformed in just a few seconds. When she was finished she stood with her hands out as if saying ‘ta-da.’ 

Cat stood and walked over to her, looking her up and down. Then she put her hands on Kara’s waist. With Kara’s boots on, Cat had to get on toes a bit to press a light kiss to her cheek. She pulled back and saw the slight blush on the girl’s face. 

Cat asked, “You’ll still come get me in the morning?”

Kara pulled Cat in and held her tight. “Absolutely.” 

Cat pulled away and took her hand pulling her back toward the kitchen. “There’s a side door off the kitchen.” She turned to face her. “Don’t let Carter see you.” 

With that, Supergirl was gone and Cat was left looking to the sky, watching her fly off like a rocket. She stared at the clouds even after she was gone. She smiled to herself.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

The next morning came much too quickly. Cat was in her office at CatCo with Rachel and Winn. She was giving Rachel some last minute instructions and Winn was setting up some special video conference equipment. 

Kara came in and caught Cat’s eye with a smile. She held up a cup from Noonan’s. Cat looked away and tried not to smile too much. She slowly walked up to Kara and took the cup with a “Thank you.” After a sip, she gave Kara her usual line when Kara brought her a latte these days. “You know, this isn’t your job anymore.”

Kara returned her usual response. She shrugged and said, “Old habits.” 

They were standing a little too close for colleagues. They were standing a little too close even for friends. Winn and Rachel looked at each other with raised eye brows. 

Rachel asked, “Is that all, Ms. Grant?” Cat nodded without taking her eyes off Kara. 

Winn said, “I can finish this later.” The two slipped passed Cat and Kara, barely noticed. 

Kara asked her, “You ready?” Cat simply shook her head slowly. “Me neither,” Kara said. 

Kara wanted to put her hands on Cat so badly. She looked gorgeous, as always. But today, there was something about the way she was looking at Kara. Is was more intimate. Even more familiar. 

Kara remembered herself, “Well, unfortunately, your plane will be ready soon. And the faster you leave, the faster you come home.” Cat nodded at that. 

They drove talking mostly about work. Cat was unconsciously rattling away her to-do list for when she got back to Madrid. Kara listened, holding her hand. Soon they arrived at the small private airport. Kara drove them over to the tarmac where the jet was waiting, painted with a large CatCo logo. 

Someone came quickly to take Cat’s bags and put them on board. They turned to one another and took each other’s hands. “I hate this,” Kara said with a sad face. 

“Me too,” Cat said back. They watched each other, expectantly. But when neither made a move to do what they both wanted to, they both chickened out. “Well,” Cat said, a little awkward, “I’ll call you when I get there.”

Kara just nodded, feeling a little foolish. Cat released her hands and turned to walk toward the plane.

Suddenly, Kara’s Supergirl courage came to her. She reached out and grabbed Cat’s wrist. Cat turned back to her with hopeful eyes. They looked at each other for a second. Just one second. 

Then Kara pulled on Cat’s arm, enough to bring her closer so Kara could put her hands around her waist and pull Cat into the most passionate first kiss either of them had ever had. Their lips met and it felt soft. Too soft for how they both felt right now. They both instinctively pressed just a little harder. Their lips parted and their mouths began moving against one another. 

Cat brought her hands up to Kara’s neck as Kara wrapped her arms fully around Cat’s middle so they were too close for the air to get between them. Their tongues touched over and over as they held onto each other desperately, eyes shut tight, willing the moment to freeze. 

The rhythm of their breathing increased and became heavier as they melted into the contact they had both been craving. Cat’s fingers began threading through Kara’s longer hair and Kara’s kisses became flustered. Her head was beginning to swim. 

She pulled away for an instant to take a breath and Cat’s lips went to her neck. Kara inhaled sharply, not even trying to cover up how the touch affected her. After catching her breath she leaned back down to capture Cat’s lips again. 

Their hands began wandering over one another. As the minutes passed they found themselves pulling back for half a second to look at each other’s eyes and then leaning right back in. Kara didn’t have a chance to be insecure about whether these kisses were satisfying to someone like Cat Grant. Cat pulling at her and bringing their lips together again and again was all the confirmation she needed that Cat was as into this as she was.

Finally, they slowed down, but they didn’t pull away. Kara rubbed her hands over the small of Cat’s back, while Cat lightly grazed her thumbs across Kara’s face. Their foreheads were pressed together, not wanting to separate from one another. 

With her eyes still closed, Cat said, “You’re making it much harder to leave.”

Kara quickly responded. “Then hurry back.”

Cat pressed her lips to Kara’s again. One slow kiss, two slow kisses, then one last kiss that had their lips lingering together. Kara relinquished her hold on Cat’s waist and Cat let her hands fall away from Kara. 

Cat took a couple backwards steps away from her. Then she turned to walk toward the plane. She looked back over her shoulder with a wide smile to see the same smile on Kara’s face. 

Then she walked up the steps and out of sight. Kara breathed in a long, deep breath. Her heart was still beating fast. She lifted her finger tips to her lips and swore she could still feel Cat on them. Please hurry, she thought to herself as she watched the plane taxi away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Kara has her own CatCo crisis to deal with.


	5. Board Members and Broken Machines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple things:
> 
> 1\. I don't know anything about printing presses other than what I researched to write this chapter, so if you do, keep it to yourself!
> 
> 2\. So, when I first started this story, I wasn't so sure about it. But, y'all, I am so enjoying all this fluffy fluff. 
> 
> P.S. Thanks to @thekeyunderthemat for the leads. Using several in the next chapter.

The next morning, Cat walked into CatCo Spain and stopped dead in her tracks just inside the door of the lobby. Her lips slowly parted as she slipped her sunglasses off. It was finished. 

The remodel of the first floor was completely finished. Cat’s eyes took the place in. From the marble floors, to the fashionable seating, the soft lighting, complimented by the natural lighting from the large windows, the inviting color pallet to the engaging art, it looked perfect. 

She looked over to the two receptionists. They were both smiling at her while they busily directed phone calls and answered visitor’s questions. She smiled back and walked toward the elevator. She was itching to see the office floor. 

She quickly punched ‘2’ and rode up. The doors opened and, though she was early, everyone was there waiting for her. They stopped their work so they could see her reaction. 

She stepped out of the elevator and swept the room with her eyes. It was bright and open now. All its previous dinginess was gone. The last of the cubicles was finally out of the building. The new desks and chairs had been built. The walls were graced with art from local artists as well as CatCo’s most famous covers. The wood floors were gorgeous. A row of televisions had been installed along one wall of the bullpen, constantly playing relevant stations, including their own, of course. The tiny windows had been replaced with massive ones, which overlooked what would be the second floor of a two story outdoor patio. She couldn’t believe they’d done it all so quickly.

Cat looked over to her office. The small glass walled room had been expanded and repainted as if it were it’s own room. Raquel was waiting at her desk. 

It all looked perfect. She gave a satisfied smile. After a few moments, Cat walked up to the white board. She found ‘Remodelar’ and promptly crossed a line through it. Then she turned toward the bullpen. All she said was, “Back to work, people.” The hum of business began again. 

Cat walked over to Raquel’s desk. She asked Cat with a smile, “Did you have a good trip home, Ms. Grant?”

Cat smiled back. “I did, thank you.” Kara’s face flashed through her mind. She tried to subdue the smile it brought. She’d been thinking about that kiss for the last twenty-four hours. “I need you to take care of some things today,” she told Raquel. 

“Of course,” she reached for a notepad. Cat noticed her pick up a take out cup from her desk as well. “Uh, someone named Kara Danvers emailed me. She said she used to be your assistant. And she said a hot latte in the morning always made you happy.” She handed the cup to Cat, hoping it was the right thing. “She said nonfat and one third foam and hot.”

Cat took the cup, staring at Raquel. After a second she looked away and breathed out a short laugh. That was Kara. Always taking care of her. She should have expected it sooner.

After she gave Raquel some instructions, she went into her office. She checked the time. It was late in National City, but not too late. She took out her phone and typed a message to Kara. 

_‘Thanks for the latte.’_

A minute later, _‘Did she get one third foam?’_

_‘She did. It’s perfect.’_ Then Cat asked her. _‘What are you doing?’_

_‘Alex and I are watching Game of Thrones. What are you doing?’_

Cat smiled. She couldn’t wait to meet Alex. She stood and walked back out to the white board, snapping a picture and sending it to Kara. 

Kara’s response was quick. _‘There are so many more things crossed out than the first time you sent it.’_

_‘I know. I have to get to work. Have fun with your sister. I’ll talk to you soon. Good night, darling.’_

Cat put the phone down and took a sip of her latte. The different beans gave the espresso a flavor she wasn’t used to, but she liked it. Suddenly, she wished she was sentimental enough to have pictures on her desk.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Back in National City, Kara was smiling from ear to ear. 

“Lemme see,” Alex said, snatching Kara’s phone. 

“Hey!” Kara tried to snatch it back, but she let Alex see the messages. 

Alex read over the short conversation. “Aw, she called you darling again.” Alex handed back the phone. “I have to meet her Kara. I mean, for real meet her. That thing during Myriad doesn’t count.” 

She watched as Kara was reading back over the messages, still smiling. Alex smiled softly at her sister's happiness. She didn’t know Cat. Only what Kara told her and the few correspondences that Kara shared with her. But she was already grateful to Cat for the joy she was bringing Kara. 

“You’ve been smiling like that all night,” Alex said, tenderly pushing a lock of hair behind Kara’s ear. 

Kara looked up. She bit her lip for a moment and then told Alex, “We kissed.” Alex’s mouth fell open and her eyes went wide. Kara added, “We kissed a lot.”

“When?!” Alex asked. “I thought I interrupted that opportunity.”

Kara laughed. “At the airport, before she left. She was about to walk away and I grabbed her wrist and pulled her in and we kissed.”

Alex quietly said, a little jealous, “That is so romantic.”

Kara nodded. “It was amazing.” 

The two stayed up talking for a while. Finally, Alex left and Kara went to bed. She needed some rest. Tomorrow was a big day. 

Then, at five in the morning, Kara’s phone rang. She rolled over, still mostly asleep, not sure if she’d even really heard the sound. But it kept ringing. She reached for it, thinking it must be Cat. But when she looked at the screen, it was a number she didn’t recognize. 

She slid her thumb over the screen to accept the call with a groggy, “Hello.”

A man’s voice on the other end asked, “Is this Kara Danvers?” 

“Yeah. Who’s this?”

“Name’s Jake. I work on CatCo’s printing press.”

Kara immediately shot up in her bed. The printing press? CatCo printed all of its publications in house. The Tribune was printed on the second floor and CatCo magazine on the third. They both ran perfectly with a well trained and competent staff. So the only reason for them to call was if something was wrong. 

Jake continued. “I called Ms. Grant’s assistant and she gave me your number. I know Ms. Grant’s out of the country, but she always wants to know when something happens down here.”

Kara’s heart started beating faster. “Of course. I’m handling things for her. What is it?”

Jake paused, then told her, “Well, we had a small accident here with a fork lift. A new guy was moving pallets and ran the thing straight into the press.”

Kara covered her mouth with her hand. Her first question was, “Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jake said, “everyone’s fine. The kid’s pretty shaken up and he’s afraid of losing his job.”

Kara's second question was, “And the printer?”

“Well,” Jake started. Kara could hear his trepidation. “He ran the forklift right into the part of the press that houses the cylinders.”

Kara closed her eyes. The cylinders were the most important part of the press. And they weren’t easily repaired or replaced. Kara tried to think. 

“Do you have replacements?”

“If we had replacements, I wouldn’t be calling you ma'am,” Jake responded. “We just changed out all the cylinders at the end of last week for routine maintenance. The new ones are in the mail.”

“Okay, I’m on my way,” Kara said. 

“Yes ma'am.” Jake hung up. 

Kara ran her hands through her hair. Shit. The printing press? She had no idea how to handle something like that. In her time at CatCo she had never dealt with a broken press. Her first instinct was to call Cat. It was early afternoon in Madrid. Surely, Cat would know what to do. 

But then Kara thought that she didn’t want to bother Cat. After all, this is why she had left James and Kara in charge. To handle things. She decided to go to CatCo and access the situation and then decide whether she should contact Cat. 

She looked up and her eyes landed on the new suit she had bought, hanging up on the bathroom door. The board was coming in at nine that morning for a video conference with Cat. She only had a few hours to get to the second floor and see the press and then get ready for the meeting. 

She quickly got ready and headed to CatCo. She walked across the lobby and went to a restricted stairwell. She slid her ID badge across a digital pad and the door unlocked. CatCo had strict policies on not just anyone being around the printing presses. 

She walked into the second floor and around the massive machine until she spotted a small group of people working on a large section. She made her way over.

“Uh, excuse me,” she said, loud enough to be heard over the hum of the industrial floor and the work of the group. A few of them stopped to look up. She asked, “Can anyone tell me where I can find Jake?”

A middle aged man stepped forward with his hand extended. “Miss Danvers?”

“Yes,” she said with a smile. He looked her up and down. She could tell he was expecting someone older. She was suddenly glad she was wearing the new suit. He didn’t say anything so she asked, pointing to the press. “Can you show me the damage?”

He quickly caught himself, “Of course. Over here.” 

He walked her over to a large housing. It was big enough for about four people to get into. It held the cylinders that printed the Tribune. The entire thing was bent and smashed, including the large cylinders. Kara’s shoulders slumped. 

She looked it over. There was certainly no repairing it before that evening when they needed to print the next issue. She asked, “What, um, what’s the time frame on this?”

Jake shook his head slowly. “The graphics guys usually bring the plates down about mid afternoon.”

Kara checked her watch. “If I get you new cylinders by the time they bring you the plates, you can print it on time?”

“Absolutely,” he said confidently. 

She nodded. “Tell me exactly what you need.”

An hour later, she and Rachel were both on the phone, frantically calling every supplier and repair store they could, looking for new or refurbished parts. They were working against the clock. It took precious minutes for the people on the other end to check their supply, only to tell them the parts they needed weren’t available. 

Kara hung up the phone with a loud sigh. She pressed her fingers to her temples. As the hours passed, her stress level increased. They were working from Rachel’s desk. Kara glanced into Cat’s office. The board members would be arriving soon. She still hadn’t called Cat. James came over to the desk. 

“Any luck?” He asked her. 

Kara shook her head. Then she looked around before whispering, “I thought maybe I could track down the ones that are in the mail and fly over and pick them up, wherever they are.”

James just looked at her, brow furrowed. “You’re right,” she said. “Bad idea.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he told her. “Let’s focus on the board.” She nodded and told Rachel to keep calling. 

Soon, board members began filtering in. They gave Kara and James stiff smiles as they walked into Cat’s office. Kara shook their hands, being polite as possible. “They hate us,” she whispered to James. 

“They’re just tough.” He tried to reassure her. “That’s why Cat asked them to be on this board. After the hostile takeover attempt, she made sure every board member had CatCo’s best interests in mind.”

Kara nodded. He was right. They just needed to set the board at ease about Cat being gone for so long. Hopefully, hearing it from Cat would ease their minds. 

They had all gotten settled a few minutes early. Kara made sure they were all comfortable. Winn was waiting for Cat to call in. When she did, he said, “We got her.”

A second later, Cat came onto the largest screen in the center of the display in her office. It almost looked like she was there, sitting behind her desk. 

Kara’s stomach fluttered a little at seeing her. It looked like she was in a conference room. Her hands were folded on the table and she looked serious. Kara remembered that it was the end of the day there. 

On the other side of the screen, in Madrid, Cat tried not show any reaction when the shot of her office came up on the screen in the conference room. But her eyes went straight to Kara. She took her in. She was standing in the back of the group, next to the office door. She looked like she was ready to run. She was wearing a grey pencil skirt and blazer with a crisp, white button up blouse. Her hair was pulled into a neat twist. Cat had never seen her looking so professional and mature. She looked good. Really good. It made an impression on Cat. 

She kept her features in check, though, turning to the board members. “Good morning, everyone. I trust you are doing well.”

They all responded in kind, politely. Except Kara. She gave Cat the fainted smile. Cat saw it and tried to meet Kara’s eyes, though it was difficult through the camera lens. Cat said, “I understand there have been some questions about my absence. I’m meeting with you all today to answer those questions and put your minds at ease.”

Some of them nodded while others immediately broke out with questions, speaking all together. Kara just looked at the floor in frustration. Her protective side was coming out, not wanting Cat to have to deal with this silliness at the end of a long day. 

She took a sideways glance to Rachel, who was still on the phone. Rachel caught her eye and just shook her head. Kara looked back to the screen. Cat held her hands up, indicating for the group to be quiet. 

“Honestly, one at a time.” She pointed, “Tasha.”

The woman stood and asked, “Cat, we appreciate what you are trying to do in Spain, but you have to understand that you are needed here.”

Cat nodded, casually, “Of course. I have no intentions of staying in Madrid. I’m here to correct a problem. Once it’s fixed, I’ll be back.” She held her hands out nonchalantly, like it wasn’t big deal. She was trying to get them to see it the same way. 

“Sure, Cat,” said an older gentleman, “but the office here, in National City, is the most profitable in the world. If the problem can’t be fixed in a reasonable amount of time, perhaps you should consider selling CatCo Spain to Berlusconi, or Mediaset.”

Cat’s expression glazed over at that. Then she looked almost angry. Kara knew immediately why. Cat took CatCo incredibly personally. She knew exactly what Cat’s response would be. 

Cat leaned in and said, in a low voice, “I will absolutely not sell this branch to anyone. The fact that you would even suggest it means that you don’t have a firm grasp on our business model.”

Kara shook her head. She thought to herself that any office failing to produce was a byproduct of an overall company failure. 

Then Cat said, “Any office failing to be profitable is a symptom of a greater problem. We don’t just throw the problem away. We fix it.” Kara smiled at that. She loved that she knew Cat so well. The man acquiesced to Cat’s argument with a small nod.

She answered questions for the next hour. They worked out some business and, by the end of it, everyone seemed appeased. Then one more person spoke up. “Ms. Grant, how much longer are you going to be there?” 

Cat answered quickly, “Two weeks at the most.” Several people nodded their heads in approval. Kara knew differently. The answer had come too quickly. Cat had rehearsed it. She still didn’t know how long. Kara hung her head. It was difficult trying to hold in her reactions throughout the meeting. 

The same person went on with, “And, in the meantime, you’re keeping these children in charge?” They waved to the back of the room and indicated Kara and James. 

James didn’t move a muscle. He had expected something like that. Kara, on the other hand, stood up straighter and crossed her arms over her chest, defensively. Her expression, irritated. 

Cat shot back easily. “These children know more about CatCo’s day to day operations than all of you combined. So yes, Miss Danvers and Mr. Olsen will remain in charge and you will offer them the same respect as you would me.”

Kara dropped her hands back down at Cat’s defense. Then one last person piped up. It was a man named Tom. The next Dirk if Cat were right about him. “What are they doing about the problem with the printing press?” Kara’s eyes went wide and she froze. She glanced to Tom and then to Cat. She tried not to freak out. 

Cat didn’t skip a beat. She knew a problem with the printing press would be Kara’s department. “Miss Danvers is working out the problem with the press right now. I have no doubt it won’t affect our circulation.” Cat spoke confidently, though she had no idea what was going on. After a moment, she said, “If that’s all, it’s been a long day.”

Everyone nodded and they said their goodbyes. The video feed was cut off and Kara felt instantly lonely. She and James saw the board members out. They seemed more settled. Good, Kara thought. Just then, her phone rang. She looked down. It was Cat. Time to face the music. 

She sighed and answered with a quiet, “Hello.”

“What the hell is wrong with my press?” Cat was talking loudly. She was a little angry. Her tone was intense. Understandably. 

Kara sighed again. She was still quiet when she said, “There was a small accident on the second floor early this morning. The cylinders in the press were damaged.”

“The cylinders were-,” Cat cut herself off. She was afraid of losing her temper. After a pause, she asked, “Kara, why didn’t you tell me?” 

Kara tried to sound confident in her thought process. “I didn’t see any point in disturbing you. You couldn’t do anything from over there and we are trying everything we can to find replacements.”

“When you say 'damaged'?” Cat’s voice trailed off.

Kara closed her eyes before answering, discouraged that their first fight was going to be over a printing press. “Completely destroyed,” Kara answered.

Cat knew the replacements were in the mail. She tried to stay calm. She knew it wasn’t Kara’s fault. This was a situation where she would normally take out her frustration on her assistant. 

They were both silent for a while. The seconds seemed to stretch out. Kara held a hand out questioningly, waiting for Cat to say something. Finally, Kara asked, “Cat?” Still nothing, but she could hear the faint sound of Cat’s steady breathing. She knew Cat was trying not to be mad. So, she softened her voice, “Hey, talk to me.”

Then Cat said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “I need you tell me when something like this happens. Whether I can do anything or not. Okay?” 

Kara knew she was receiving special treatment. Cat would have been furious with anyone else. “Okay, of course.” Kara felt like an assistant again who had done something wrong. But it was a much better reaction than she had expected.

“Have you called our suppliers?” 

“Of course I have. Rachel has been calling places through the whole meeting.” She said her idea again. “I thought I could track down the ones in the mail and go get them.”

Cat paused. “You mean go get them?” She paused again, “As in, go get them?”

Kara smiled a little at the surprised reaction. “Yeah, go get them.”

“You can’t do that, Kara. Not for something as mundane as press cylinders. You have to be a normal person at work. Otherwise you risk blowing your cover.” Then she added, “But thank you for being willing.”

Just then, Rachel began waving wildly to her. “Cat, I gotta go. I’ll call you as soon as I can.” She hung up without giving Cat a chance to answer and rushed back to Rachel’s desk. She was writing something on a piece of paper. 

“Here,” Rachel said, “I already paid for them. They’re holding them for you.” 

Kara looked at the paper. The she asked, exasperated, “Santa Barbara?”

Rachel just nodded with an apologetic look. “It’s the closest place that has all three cylinders.”

Kara sighed. “Okay. Good job, Rachel.” She started walking to her own office and pulled out her phone again. She dialed. The other end picked up quickly. “Alex, I need a favor.”

Less than a half hour later, Alex and Kara were speeding through National City’s highway system with lights and sirens blasting in one of the DEO vehicles. They were headed out of town toward Santa Barbara. Alex was weaving in and out, sometimes opting for the shoulder of the road. 

Kara was holding on to the handle above the passenger side window. “I’m literally bullet proof and you’re freaking me out.” She looked over and saw that Alex was wearing a small, mischievous smile. She was enjoying this. It made Kara smile. “Thanks for the lift.”

“Any time,” Alex said, concentrating on the road. 

They made it to Santa Barbara in record time and found the shop. Kara went in and came out a few minutes later, a clerk helping her with all the boxes. She jumped back in the car. “Let’s go.” Alex promptly peeled out of the parking lot. They both laughed. 

Once they were back, Kara quickly unloaded all the boxes and started carrying them toward CatCo’s side entrance. Then she heard Alex say, “Kara.” Kara turned and realized what she was doing. She was carrying a lot of heavy equipment by herself. “Maybe a dolly?”

“Right,” Kara said, gently setting the boxes down. The cylinders were on the second floor by half passed one in the afternoon. 

Kara said goodbye to Alex and stayed with the printing press while the cylinders were being installed. When it was done, she pulled out her phone and snapped a photo, sending it to Cat. She smiled, elated to have accomplished the task.

Soon she was riding the elevator back up to her office. She plopped herself down at her desk with a loud sigh, tilting her head back and relaxing for the first time since five in the morning. A minute later, her phone rang. She barely shifted her head to look at the screen. When she saw that was Cat, she was immediately energized, sitting up straight and answering the call. 

“Hey,” she said happily.

On the other end, Cat said, “Who needs Supergirl when you have Kara Danvers?” Kara smiled brightly at the compliment, then Cat asked, “How did you do it?”

Kara had to stifle the smile so she could talk. “Uh, Rachel found them, actually. Then Alex and I drove with lights and sirens blaring all the way to Santa Barbara and back in like two hours.”

The sound of Cat’s laughter soothed Kara’s mind. She closed her eyes and listened to it. “Jake said everything looks perfect. Thank you, Kara.” Kara heard her take a drink of something and then say, “But, really, you have got to tell me if something like that happens again.”

“I will, I promise. I was hoping to have the problem fixed without you ever finding out. Then that Tom guy said something.” Kara thought for a second. “I mean, how did he even know?”

Cat let out a huff. “Who knows? He might know one of the graphic designers or one of the guys who works on the press. He probably has spies all over. I need to keep an eye on him.” She paused. “Better yet, I should have a meeting with him. We don’t want another takeover attempt.”

Kara said, “I hate to say it, but you should think about updating our printing method.” Cat was silent at the suggestion. “Cat, did you know Jake and his crew have to fix something on that thing almost everyday?”

Cat was quiet for another moment. “I love that printing press,” she said quietly. “You know I’ve had that press since before we were in that building. I had it taken apart and reassembled there.” Kara waited while Cat paused. “It reminds me of CatCo’s humble beginnings, I suppose.”

Kara smiled a little at that. “Look who’s being sentimental,” she said. 

Across the ocean, Cat smiled. It was true. For all the times she criticized Kara’s sentimentality, she was the same, except that Cat felt the need to push it down where Kara just let it come naturally. 

Kara asked her, “What are you doing?”

Cat looked up at the moon. She was reclining in a lounge chair on the balcony of her hotel room. She had a bourbon in her hand and she swirled the liquid in the glass. “Looking at the sky. Thinking.”

“What are you thinking about?”

Cat loved that Kara always asked. She couldn’t ever get away with vague answers. In truth, she was thinking about Kara, but she covered with, “Just work. And home.” She knew Kara wanted to hear more, but sometimes when the mood turned quiet, Cat was still afraid to open up. 

So instead, Cat asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Kara quickly responded with the answer Cat had really been thinking, “I’m thinking about when we kissed.” She paused and added, “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“How do you do that?”

Kara asked, “Do what?”

“Just say whatever comes into your head,” Cat said.

“Because I want you to know.” The answer was easy for Kara. She wanted Cat to know everything about her. But she knew that was harder for Cat. “I know that it’s different for you.”

“I don’t want it to be,” Cat said. “I want to tell you everything. I,” she paused to think, “I’m just not used to someone like you.”

Kara didn’t say anything. She knew it was a compliment. They let the moment stretch out over the distance. 

Kara asked, “What time is it?”

Cat pulled the phone away and checked the time. Then she answered, “A little after midnight.”

“You should get some rest,” Kara told her.

“No,” she took a sip of her drink. “I want to hear your voice,” she said softly.

After another minute, Kara said, “Thank you for standing up for me to the board.” 

“Of course. I had no idea what Tom was talking about.”

“You covered it very well. I think it surprised him to think that you did know,” Kara said. 

“Well, I’ll admit, my first instinct was to get angry. But I knew you had to be on top of it. I noticed you were standing by the door and kept looking at Rachel. I figured something was up.”

Kara told her, “It was weird to see you on the screen like that. Looking at you, but not really looking at you.”

Cat nodded. She had thought the same thing. Then she said, “You look really good in that suit.” 

Kara giggled a little. “Well, I figured it was an important meeting. Though I did ditch the jacket for mine and Alex’s high speed cylinder expedition.”

“Are you wearing it now?”

Kara smiled a shy smile. “I am. Why?”

Cat closed her eyes. “I’m just trying to picture you in my mind right now. Sitting at your desk, on the phone, hopefully smiling, looking gorgeous in that suit.”

“Well, I don’t know about gorgeous, but I’m definitely smiling.”

Then Cat smiled, and quietly told her, “You’re absolutely gorgeous, Kara. Stunning, even.”

Kara was a little speechless. Cat Grant just told her that she was stunning. The woman who embodied beauty and oozed sexy. They were quiet again for a while. Both of them just smiling into the phone. 

Finally, Kara repeated her thought from earlier. “You should get some rest.”

“Just a little longer,” Cat said back, still so quiet. Kara could tell she was tired. Then a thought came to Kara’s mind. A way to lull Cat to sleep. A story of sorts.

“Tell you what,” Kara said, “are you ready for bed?”

The question seemed intimate to Cat and she shyly answered. “Mostly.”

“Put the phone down and go get ready for bed.”

Cat knit her eye brows together a little in confusion, but said, “Okay.” She set the phone down and went to the bathroom. She rushed through her nightly routine as quickly as she could. Remove makeup, wash face, brush teeth, moisturize, night cream. Then she went and picked up the phone, saying, “Okay?”

“Put the phone on the night stand and get in bed. Get comfortable,” Kara told her. Cat did as she was told, plugging in her phone on the night stand, and climbing under the blankets. “Put me on speaker.” 

Cat tapped the button and put the phone on the night stand. “Okay.”

“Can you hear me okay?”

“Yes,” Cat said, laying her head against the pillow and relaxing. 

After a long pause, in which Kara rose from her seat to quietly close her office door, she said, “I want to tell you about Krypton.”

Cat immediately lifted her head back up and propped herself up on an elbow. “Kara, you don’t have to do that. We can talk about something else.”

“I want to. Let me. Think of it as a bedtime story,” Kara told her. She wasn’t sure why she thought of it. Maybe because when she couldn’t sleep, her own mind wandered to Krypton sometimes. And now that her secret identity was out in the open between them, Kara longed to share her memories of her home with Cat. 

Cat was quiet for a few seconds. Then she simply said, “Okay,” and settled back down into the mattress. She heard Kara breath out a long breath. Then she began. 

“I used to live in a place called Argo City. It was in a valley, surrounded by mountains. It was beautiful. The base of the mountains dipped down and the valley floor was smooth. It wasn’t rocky or rough. It was completely flat.”

Kara tried to go back in her memories. She closed her eyes and brought the images to her mind. She wanted Cat to be able to see it. 

“Our sun was red, not yellow, like earth. But, by the time I was born, it was already losing its light. So it was like the whole planet was cast in shadow.” Kara thought, shadow wasn’t the right word. “But not dark. More like sunset, but all day. There were two moons and, because the sun wasn’t as bright, you could see them both all day long. Even with the fading sun, it was so warm.”

Cat listened to Kara, committing every detail to memory as she talked. She had questions, but she decided they could wait. This was the first time she had ever heard Kara talk about her home. She sensed that it was important to her to share. So she stayed quiet. 

Kara talked about Krypton for endless minutes. She talked about the sky, how it didn’t rain, but the clouds swirled in the most beautiful formations. She talked about the wildlife. She talked about how she and her mother would take long walks outside of the city, exploring. She talked about how Krypton was so much larger and older than Earth. 

Soon, Cat couldn’t fight the sleep that was overtaking her, though she tried. When Kara heard the even heaviness of her breathing, she stopped talking. 

“Cat?” She stayed quiet, not wanting to wake her if she had finally fallen to sleep. When there was no response, Kara smiled softly. The words were on the tip of her tongue. She knew it was too soon to say them when Cat was awake, but now that she was safely sleeping, Kara let the words almost silently slip from her mouth. “I love you.” 

She pulled the phone from her ear and ended the call. Sitting back in her chair, she sighed deeply. She wished she could have been holding Cat while she talked about Krypton. Soon, she thought. 

She turned to her computer. The end of the workday had almost come. Kara clicked the mouse to open her email for the first time that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Cat finally gets to relax; Kara can't handle the distance. 
> 
> Okay, for all of you that thought that phone call was going a different direction, get your mind out of the gutter!


	6. Dinner And Distance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really more of an interim chapter to get to the next one, so it's a little shorter. But still, it offers Cat a rest and some insight into Kara dealing with the distance. Or, rather not.
> 
> Thank you guys for all the support on this story. I'm so glad you are enjoying it.

Cat looked over the report for the third time. A slow smile played on her lips as she finally let herself believe the number at the bottom. Of course, the report was in Spanish, but Daniel had circled the number in red marker because it was the only important part of said report. 

She looked at the number again. It was 6.3, circled in the bold red. It was one of the most lofty goals they had set back on the first night that Cat had arrived in Madrid. She almost couldn’t believe it. 

Daniel was sitting in one of the chairs in front of her desk. He was smiling, too. She looked up at him and tried to contain the smile. He stood and leaned over the desk, pointing to a part of the report. 

“This is the magazine sales,” he told her, then moved his finger, “and here is the newspaper.” He sat back down, adding, “And the ratings for the network are up too.”

“Thanks to your wife,” Cat said, still looking at the paper. She had finally met Daniel’s wife, Maria, during the second week. She was a fantastic broadcaster and had several great ideas for the network. She and Cat had immediately started to implement as many as they could. 

“Thanks to you,” Daniel corrected. 

“No,” Cat shook her head. “This was most definitely a team effort.” She looked out to the bullpen. People knew the report had come in when they saw Daniel walking into Cat’s office with the papers. They kept looking up from their work, trying to catch a reaction. Even Raquel had her eyes stuck like glue to the office. 

Cat looked back to Daniel and they smiled at each other. Daniel asked, “White board?” 

Cat nodded. “White board.”

They stood and walked out to the bullpen and over to the white board. The massive list now had many more items crossed through than not. Cat picked up the marker and cleared her throat. Everyone stopped their work and looked up. 

Cat looked over to Daniel and held the marker out to him. He looked at her, a little surprised, but took it with a grateful expression. He turned to the white board and scrawled a line through the goal stating, ‘Increase sales 5% in one month.’ 

The bullpen erupted in cheers causing Cat to laugh and clap her hands together. After allowing the celebration for a few moments, she said, loudly, but with a smile, “Okay, okay, back to work everyone.”

After that, Cat spent the next several minutes walking through the offices and talking with as many employees as she could. She asked them about how they felt things were going. She asked them about the goals they had set. The responses were overwhelmingly positive. Everyone was seeing their progress.

When she made it back to her office, Cat promptly taped the report to the glass wall outside the office. She wanted them to see it for themselves. 

Then she went to sit down and pulled out her phone, checking the time. It was almost one in the morning in National City. She bit her lip. Cat was so happy about meeting such a big goal, she wanted to share it with Kara, but she didn’t want to wake her. 

She put the phone down, deciding to wait. But then she immediately picked it back up and began typing. _‘Sales increased by 6.3%.’_ She hit send and then typed, _‘Sorry if this wakes you up.’_

She put the phone down, not expecting a response for several hours. But a few minutes later, she received an alert. She picked it back up and saw that it was Kara, quickly tapping the screen. 

_‘Cat, that’s amazing. I’m so proud of you.’_

Cat smiled brightly and sent back, _‘I almost can’t believe it. We’re so close to being finished.’_

Kara's response was quick. _‘I can’t wait to kiss you every day.’_

Cat shook her head, still smiling. Kara almost always turned these text conversations into something more intimate. A month ago it had made Cat a little uncomfortable, but now she embraced it. 

She texted back, _‘I can’t tell you how wonderful that sounds.’_ Then she sent, _‘I miss you.’_

Kara responded, _‘I can’t believe it’s been a month and I’ve only seen you for a few hours.’_

Cat felt a pang of guilt at that. She remembered what she had told Kara the day before she left. It could take a week, it could take a month. Or longer. In just a couple of days they would be crossing into longer. She knew she was doing better at handling the distance than Kara was. Not because she didn’t miss Kara terribly, but she was better at compartmentalizing and stuffing her feelings away. Something she was hoping to change when she was finally home.

Kara could read her mind from across the ocean. An alert made Cat look back down to her phone. _‘I didn’t mean that to make you feel bad.’_

_‘I know, darling. But I am sorry.’_

Kara typed, _‘Don’t be sorry. Especially not today. You should celebrate!’_

Cat’s smile returned. _‘Maybe. Go back to sleep.’_

The day passed quickly, and Cat was glad for that. It seemed like she was getting more and more done at CatCo Spain every day. Realistically, it was more that the staff was becoming more and more competent. 

People came up to her office throughout the day to look at the sales report taped to the window. Every time someone came by they gave her a smile or a ‘Gracias, Ms. Grant,’ which she always acknowledged. 

It was almost the end of the workday and Cat was checking her email again. She had several drafts from her journalists in National City that needed reviewing. They always sent them in, what was, the morning to them. So they always reached Cat when she was supposed to be finishing for the day. 

Her eyes immediately went to Kara’s name in the ‘From’ column. Cat's lips quirked up a bit. She didn’t mind staying late to read Kara’s draft. She clicked the email. 

_‘Ms. Grant,_  
_Congratulations on accomplishing such a difficult goal. You are truly an inspiration. I can’t wait to hear all about it._  
_\- K'_

Cat appreciated how Kara always kept things professional on a correspondence that could be seen by others. But she still always ended with a simple ‘K’. 

She opened the file and began reading. Kara’s writing was getting really good. Cat propped her chin on her hand as she read. She knew Kara so well that she knew what parts of the story Kara would put where, and she knew what direction she was headed with every statistic sited and every quote quoted. 

Just then, Daniel’s wife stepped off the elevator. Cat looked up as she passed by her door on the way to Daniel’s office. She flashed a bright smile and came to the open door. 

“Congratulations, Cat. I’m so excited about the new numbers,” Maria said. Cat had told her to call her Cat the first time they had met. She liked Maria. They had some things in common and they had a similar no-nonsense attitude. She was probably the closest thing to a friend that Cat had made in Madrid. 

Cat sat back in her chair and told her, “Congratulations, yourself. The network is still the best part of this office. You’ve done a fantastic job.”

Daniel must have heard his wife’s voice because he appeared out of the hallway and came up beside her. He gave her an easy kiss on the lips and they smiled at each other for a second. 

Maria asked him, “Are you ready?”

“I am,” he answered. Then he turned to Cat and said, “We’re going to dinner to celebrate. Come with us.”

Cat was caught off guard at the invitation. It was the first social invitation she’d had in a month. She couldn’t tell if Daniel was simply being polite.

She looked back to her computer and then back to the two of them. “Uh, I really shouldn’t. I need to go over these drafts for my reporters back home.”

Maria made a tisking sound with her tongue and asked her, “Have you seen anything in this city besides this office and your hotel room?”

“Um, well,” Cat thought, “no.” She hadn’t. She hadn’t come here to socialize. She forced herself to work sixteen hour days, every day. She wanted to get home. 

“That won’t do,” Maria said. “Get your things together. You’re coming out with us.” Cat began to shake her head slowly, trying to think of an excuse. “Stop,” Maria held up a hand. “No excuses.”

She walked into the office and picked up Cat’s purse. Then she grabbed Cat by the wrist and pulled her out of her chair. Cat laughed a little and surrendered. “Okay, okay. But just dinner. I need to look at these tonight.”

“Sure, of course,” Maria said, “just dinner.”

On their way out, they passed by Raquel’s desk and Cat snapped her fingers at the girl. “Raquel, let’s go.” She looked bewildered and pointed to herself. “Yes, chop, chop. I have it on good authority that being my assistant is one of the worst jobs in the world. The least I can do is take you to dinner.”

Raquel hesitated. Then she got her things and quickly joined them as they walked to the elevator. Soon, they were piled into Daniel and Maria's car and driving into the heart of Madrid. 

Cat allowed herself a small smile as they drove through the old streets. The city was beautiful. Cat could tell Daniel was taking the long way to wherever he was going by the way he drove around different plazas and slowed down while he told her a little about the history.

She asked him, “Have you lived here your whole life?”

“Oh, yes,” he said proudly, in his thick accent. “I love this city.”

Finally, he parked the car and they walked a short distance between the narrow streets to a place called Restaurante Bocaíto. Cat scanned the restaurant quickly. It was small, but very classy. Cat could see four distinctly different dining rooms and they were all impeccably decorated to fit the old Spanish area where the place was located. 

The host came up to them. Daniel quietly said, “Daniel Martínez.”

The host responded immediately asking them to follow. Maria hung on to Daniel's arm as they were led to their table. They were affectionate with one another and it made Cat think of Kara. It wasn’t in Cat’s nature to be so touchy in public, but it was in Kara’s. It was another thing on her growing list of things she promised herself she would be more open to when she got home. 

When they were seated, Cat said, with a quizzical look at Daniel, “That was quick.”

“I know the owner,” he said. “I am lucky to get a reservation almost anytime on short notice and I thought you would like this place.”

She narrowed her eyes. He kept surprising her. “How did you know I would come?”

He gave a short laugh. “I knew if you said no, that Maria would drag you out anyway.” He looked at his wife and she just shrugged. 

“You should see the city you have been working so hard in,” Maria said. 

Cat was quiet. She liked the three people she was with. She had never interacted with employees this casually. There was something about it that she appreciated. She thought to herself that Kara was making her soft. 

As they ate dinner, the talked about everything from Cat’s sons to Maria's shopping habits and Daniel’s secret love of American football to how Raquel had moved there from the coast of Portugal and how different it was in the city. The conversation flowed easily and Cat was grateful for the break. 

As they were about to leave, Daniel pulled out his phone and said, “Okay, everyone gather in.” He held up his phone and Cat looked confused. Then she realized he was taking a photo of them all. She quickly leaned in and smiled. 

She asked him, “Can you send me that?” 

“Of course,” he said and tapped away at his phone. 

She pulled out her phone and clicked on the photo when she got it. She made herself not smile at it, though she wanted to. She opened her messenger app and sent the photo to Kara. _‘This is Daniel and his wife Maria, and Raquel.’_

Daniel was watching her. “Are you sending it to your special someone?”

She looked up at him shyly and then looked away and smiled. She just nodded and said, “Yes, I am.”

“Oh, I would love to meet him,” Raquel said. 

“Ms. Grant’s special someone is a her,” Daniel corrected. 

Maria promptly asked, “Do you have a picture?”

Cat hesitated. Her smile faded a bit as she debated with herself. She hadn’t told anyone about her and Kara, and she was pretty sure Kara had only told Alex. 

“Oh, come on,” Maria said. “She’s in another country. We’re not going to give your secrets away.”

Cat’s smile returned. She quickly pulled up a picture on her phone that Kara had sent a couple of days before. It was of her, sitting at Cat’s desk in her office. The text read, ‘I think the big chair suits me.’ It had made Cat laugh. 

She handed her phone to Maria, who lite up. “She’s gorgeous, Cat.” She showed Daniel who nodded his agreement. 

“Yes, she certainly is. And much more.” Cat was relieved that they didn’t seem to notice Kara’s age, or at least they didn’t seem to care. 

Maria handed back the phone and Cat showed Raquel. Raquel was only a few years younger than Kara. “Aw,” the girl said. “I like her already. You need to bring her here.”

Cat looked at the picture and smiled. “Maybe one day.”

When the conversation lulled, Maria put her hands up and said, “Drinks?”

Cat looked apologetic. “I can’t. I really do need to get to those drafts tonight. But don’t let me stop you. I can get a cab.”

“Of course not,” Daniel said. “We’ll take you back to your hotel. 

On the way there, Cat kept checking her phone, waiting for Kara’s response. She thought she might like to see some of the people Cat kept talking about. 

When no response came by the time she was headed to bed, she got concerned. She called Kara’s number and listened to it ring. Kara’s voicemail picked up. Cat knit her eye brows together. Maybe she’s just busy with a super emergency, Cat told herself. She crawled into bed, exhausted, when her phone alerted her to a message. It was Kara. 

_‘Sorry, it’s busy here today. They look nice, though I’m not sure how I feel about you hanging out with attractive European women.’_ A second later came, _‘But you are still the prettiest girl there.’_

Cat smiled a little. She was so tired, all she could type was _‘Miss you,’_ before her head hit the pillow and she was asleep.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In National City, Kara typed back _‘Miss you, too.’_

She put the phone down with a sad expression. She had seen the picture when Cat first sent it, but instead of eliciting a smile, tears had stung Kara’s eyes. So she had put the phone down. She couldn’t handle seeing Cat’s face and not being able to touch her. 

The distance was getting to her. More and more every day. Some days it just made her sad. Other days, it made her frustrated. Sometimes frustrated with Cat, sometimes just frustrated. She knew Cat would come home if she could. But she also knew that Cat pushed too hard sometimes and might stay in Spain until CatCo ran perfectly there. In which case, she would be gone much too long. Kara kept having to tell herself that Cat was working as hard as she could. For Carter, and for her. 

When Kara’s work at CatCo was finished, she headed home. She slept restlessly, tossing and turning. Part of her wanted to call Cat and tell her how she was feeling. Another part didn’t want to make Cat feel bad for being gone. 

The next day was a Saturday. The first Saturday that Kara didn’t have to work since Cat had been gone and she couldn’t stand the idea of piddling around her apartment all day feeling sorry for herself. She quickly shed her clothes, got into her super suit and shot off toward the DEO. She walked into the bullpen and found Alex going over some files on a tablet. 

She looked up and saw Kara. With a smile, she said, “Hey you.” Kara looked dejected. Alex’s face became concerned and she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Kara replied. “Um,” she looked around, “do you have anything you need me to do?” She was trying in vain to distract herself. “You know, rogue aliens, bank robbers and such.” Kara's tone was sarcastic and it wasn’t lost on Alex. 

Alex put her tablet down and said, “Spill it. What’s going on?”

Kara’s shoulders slumped and she dropped her head. After a moment, she looked back up to her sister. “I can’t take it, Alex,” she said quietly. 

Alex knew immediately what she was referring to. “Come on,” she walked with Kara to her office. As soon as she closed the door, she said, “Talk to me.”

The tears Kara had been fighting since the previous afternoon welled in her eyes again. But this time a couple of them managed to spill over her eye lids. She reached up to wipe them away roughly, irritated that they had gotten the better of her. 

Kara sniffled a little and told Alex, “I don’t know how much longer I can do this, Alex.” Her voice became quiet. “It’s different for me than it is for her. She can tuck her feelings away in a draw and not be bothered by them. But I feel the weight of her empty office every day.”

The Danvers sisters didn’t always know what to say to comfort each other, and when they didn’t, they did the thing that came naturally to them. Alex lifted her arms around Kara’s shoulders and drew her into a tight hug. 

“I’m sorry, Kara,” Alex said. She paused, then she said, “You know that she’s working as hard as she can to get back here.”

Kara pulled back, again wiping her face with her hands. She nodded. “I know she is, but what if that’s the problem.”

“What do you mean?”

Kara posed the question, “What if she’s trying to do something that just can’t be accomplished?” 

Alex smiled a little at that and crossed her arms. “I highly doubt Cat Grant has met a challenge that she didn’t kick in the ass.” Kara laughed a short laugh at that. “She has too much integrity to leave there without having done everything she could to make CatCo Spain thrive. Yes, she’s a perfectionist. Maybe she wants it to run just as well as CatCo US before she comes home.” Alex uncrossed her arms and tilted her head to draw Kara’s gaze. “But she is most definitely coming home. I know the distance is hard. Especially for someone like you. But just look forward to everything that will be when she is home.”

Kara nodded again. Alex was right, of course. “I’m just so tired of talking to her on the phone. I feel like I need to be with her,” she said quietly. 

“Then don’t,” Alex said. 

Kara looked at her, confused. “Don’t what?”

Alex raised her eye brows and said, “Talk to her on the phone.”

A slow smile formed on Kara’s lips as she realized what Alex was getting at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: so much fluff. The next chapter will probably be the fluffiest thing I've ever written. And that's saying something.
> 
> P.S. Can I just say that my favorite thing about this story is that it is totally taking me back to the beginning of mine and my spouse's relationship and all that newness and how fun it is!


	7. Supergirl in Spain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alex totally ships Supercat. 
> 
> There is no point to this chapter other than fluff. Though I guess Cat and Kara do work a few things out.

“Do you have the button?” Alex asked Kara as they walked through the bullpen of the DEO and toward the hallway that would lead them outside. 

“Yep,” Kara responded quickly. She was walking with fast strides, ready to be in the air. 

“And the screwdriver?”

Kara laughed. “Yes, Alex.” A moment later they stepped out into the sunlight. Kara couldn’t stop smiling. 

“Okay,” Alex said. She smiled because Kara was smiling. Then she took a breath and told her, “Have fun.” Then after a second she asked, “Oh, did you get the tweezers?” 

Kara laughed again. “Yes!” She gave Alex a quick hug. “I’ll try not to be gone too long in case you need me.”

Alex gave her an offended look. “Uh, I think I can hold down the fort long enough for you to have a make out session with your girlfriend.”

Kara put a hand over her face to cover the blush. “Alex.” Alex laughed, satisfied with causing Kara embarrassment. 

“Okay, go,” she told Kara. 

Kara nodded. Alex took a step back. Kara didn’t wait a millisecond before she shot, like a bullet, straight up causing dust to fly up around the spot where she’d been standing. Alex shielded her eyes from sun as she watched until Kara was out of sight. 

Kara climbed as high as she could. High enough to look down and see the outline of North America from the stratosphere. She loved being this high. The view was amazing, but the air was too thin so she could never stay long. Once she got her bearings, she flew east, toward Europe. 

She was going fast. Fast enough around the curve of the earth that the morning sun was setting behind her in seconds. She crossed land over Portugal and, after another moment, stopped when she was within sight of a city that had to be Madrid. 

She stopped and pulled out her phone. She had no idea where Cat’s hotel was and she wanted to avoid being seen, so aimlessly flying around wasn’t an option. She looked it up, studied the map and put her phone away, making a beeline for the hotel. 

When she was above it, she scanned the higher rooms on the west side of the building. Kara knew Cat liked her hotel rooms to face West. She wanted to see the sunset when she could.

Then she saw her. Her balcony was on the corner of the building. Kara moved off to the side, hiding around the corner so she could watch Cat for a minute. She was leaning back in a lounge chair with her laptop on her lap. She was looking at some papers in a file and making notes. 

Kara smiled. She really was working as hard as she could. She watched as Cat stood and picked her phone up from the glass top table next to the chair and walked over to the balcony’s edge. This is a familiar sight, Kara thought to herself. Except for the linen camisole and capris she was wearing. Even though they were cotton, Kara was sure they cost at least a few hundred dollars, but she already liked them better than the clothes Cat wore at work. 

With Cat’s back to her, Kara snuck around from the corner to get closer. Cat looked at the screen of her phone. She pulled up a picture of Kara. One of the several selfies she had sent over the last few weeks. This one was of her in Cat’s private elevator with her fingers over her mouth like she was breaking the rules. Cat smiled as she looked over it for the twentieth time. 

Kara had been distant the last couple days. She was responding to Cat with short answer texts and she wasn’t answering her calls. Instead she just responded to her calls with a text. Cat was getting worried. She didn’t know how Kara acted in a relationship. She didn’t know if she should be concerned or not. She wanted to tell Kara how she was feeling. She desperately didn’t want to seem insecure, but she needed to know what was going on. 

Cat sighed. She pushed her insecurity aside and dialed Kara’s number. As the ringing began in her ear, a familiar tone rang out from somewhere around her. She looked around, confused. Her eyes immediately fell on Kara. 

A shocked look formed on her face. She stared at the figure hovering just beyond the balcony, dressed in familiar red and blue. This couldn’t be real. Suddenly, she understood Kara's fear at thinking her mind might be playing tricks on her when she had appeared outside Kara's office just over a week ago. She slowly pulled the phone away from her ear and began to smile, taking in the sight. She didn’t dare to look away lest the figure disappear. Kara laughed a little. Cat pressed her lips together to soften her wide smile. They watched each other for a moment, both in disbelief at the sight of the other. 

“Well,” Cat said, “why don’t you come down here and give me a proper greeting, Supergirl.”

Kara floated closer and lightly touched down a few away from Cat. She opened her mouth to say something but was caught off guard when Cat rushed over and threw her arms around Kara’s shoulders. Words left Kara's mind and all she could think was that she needed to pull Cat as close as she could. 

Every doubt Kara had blew away with the breeze on the balcony as they held onto each other. Kara was fighting tears and took a few deep breathes to contain them. “I can’t believe you're here,” Cat said into her hair. 

Kara remembered how to speak and words came tumbling out. “I hope you’re not upset. I know you want me to be normal when it comes to us, but I, I needed to see you, Cat.” She tried to be quiet and just hold her, but words kept coming. “But I know how, um,” she swallowed, taking a breath, “how focused you’ve been here, so I didn’t, well, I felt like I should be just as focused back home.”

Cat smiled softly at the familiar sound of a rambling Kara. She could tell Kara was struggling to get her feelings under control. She pulled away and brought her arms from around Kara’s strong shoulders and let her hands settle on Kara’s face. She let her eyes wander over her features, taking her in. The surprise was wearing off. Kara was really here.

“I never said I wanted you to be normal with us,” Cat said. Her voice was quiet and she shook her head slowly. She had a look of pure affection on her face. “I said I didn’t want you to blow your cover chasing after some silly press cylinders.” She stroked her thumbs over Kara’s face and Kara’s eyes slipped closed. She kissed the palms of Cat’s hands. “I’m not the least bit upset,” Cat tried to reassure her. “I miss you, too.”

Their eyes locked and they couldn’t look away from each other. Kara watched as Cat narrowed her eyes. Her tone was teasing when she said, “You keep texting something about kissing me.” 

Kara smiled at that. Her hands found Cat’s waist and pulled her in. They leaned toward each other and Kara couldn’t help the flush she felt in her cheeks when their lips met. It wasn’t rushed like the first time they kissed. It was soft and it was slow. They let their lips move over each other’s mouths. It felt so natural, like it had been happening every day. It felt wonderful, simply holding and kissing each other.

Cat reached up to thread her fingers into Kara’s hair. She wanted her closer. The slow kisses on her lips made Cat’s heart beat madly. She didn’t want to go faster, but she couldn’t help it. She pressed a little harder against Kara, and Kara pulled on her until they were as close as they could get. 

Cat slid her tongue lightly across Kara’s button lip and Kara responded immediately, letting Cat kiss her as deep as she wanted. Open mouthed kisses that left them both breathless. Cat felt beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She wasn’t sure if it was her body reacting to Kara’s mouth on hers or if it was the warmth from Kara’s alien body, but she finally pulled away slowly, self conscious of seeming too eager. 

When they looked at each other, they were both smiling. Kara released her tight hold from around Cat’s middle and Cat let her hands slide down Kara’s arms to take her hands. Cat pulled her toward a chair on the balcony. “Come sit,” she said, “talk to me.” Then she turned back to Kara with her brow furrowed. “Do you want something to drink? Does it make you tired to fly this far? How long did it take?” 

Kara laughed. She loved Cat’s curious, journalistic mind. “No, thank you, I’m good. No, it doesn’t make me tired. It only took a few minutes to get here and find the hotel. I go really high up to go this far,” Kara told her, looking up toward the darkening sky. “So it doesn’t take long. And I was going pretty fast.”

Cat stopped and pulled on Kara’s hand so that she would look at her. Her eyes were wide and her lips parted in disbelief as she looked at Kara. She whispered, “A few minutes? All these weeks, and you could have been here in a few minutes?” She breathed out hard, looking away and thinking it over. 

“I didn’t think you would have wanted me to take advantage of my powers like that,” Kara told her. “You’re always so noble about things like that.” She was suddenly unsure. 

Cat opened her mouth to speak, still processing the fact that they could have been together basically every day this whole time. “Kara,” she said, “you think more of me than you should. I am not that noble.” 

“You mean, you would have wanted me to fly here this whole time?” Kara still wasn’t sure.

Neither was Cat, she was still thinking it over. “Well, maybe.” She honestly didn’t know. The distance had given them time to process their emotions, but at the same time it wasn’t helpful for a budding relationship. “I don’t know.” Then she shook her head, pushing the thought aside. “It doesn’t matter, you’re here now.” Her face softened again. They would have to figure out things like this as they went. Kara’s superpowers certainly added a different dimension to their relationship. 

She motioned for Kara to sit down. When she was seated, Cat casually sat down in her lap. The move surprised Kara, but at the same time, it seemed perfectly normal. “Well, tell me everything,” Cat said, draping her arms around Kara’s shoulders again. “What have you been doing?” 

“Oh, you know,” Kara replied, with a teasing tone, “helping run a multi billion dollar media conglomerate, flying around catching the bad guys.” Her smile faded as she searched Cat’s eyes. “Missing you.” 

Cat looked at her. A moment passed and Cat simply said, “Me, too.” She leaned in and placed a light kiss on Kara’s lips. They leaned their heads together and stayed in the quiet moment for a while. 

Then Kara remembered. “Oh,” she said. “Speaking of seeing each other more.” She shifted to reach behind her. From a small zipper compartment in the back of her belt, she pulled a tiny plastic bag, a set of tweezers, and a small screwdriver.

Cat's brow furrowed together as she took the plastic bag between her forefinger and thumb, examining it. It was about the size of a nail head. She could tell it was a piece of technology, but she didn’t know what it was. 

She asked Kara, “What is it?”

“It’s a pressure switch,” Kara answered. “Can I have your watch?” Her eyes went to the gold watch on Cat’s wrist. 

Cat instantly knew what she was doing. “Does this mean I’m officially a part of the so-called super squad?”

Kara gave a small smile, not at all surprised that she knew about the group. “How did you know about the super squad?” 

“Oh, please,” Cat said. “You should know by now that I know everything that happens in my office.”

Kara tried to think of an instance that she could argue with, but she couldn’t think of a thing. Cat was always the smartest person in the room. So she just said, “Actually, Alex insisted.” She lowered her voice and explained, “She says any girlfriend of mine gets the full protection of the federal government.”

Cat smiled slowly and asked, “Girlfriend?” Part of her thought the word sounded silly. Like girlfriend was a term teenagers used when they talked about who they hung out with on the weekends. But another part of her liked the exclusivity that it offered. So that’s how she took it. Kara simply nodded a little and Cat said, “I like that.” Then she added, “I’m excited to meet your sister.”

“Me too,” Kara said. “Watch,” she held out her hand. 

Cat looked hesitant. She covered the watch with her opposite hand. “Why does it have to be my watch?”

“Because you wear it every day.” Kara gently took Cat’s hands, working the one away from its grip on the watch. She kissed the back of several knuckles, taking her time. Cat watched her. She loved the sight of Kara kissing her hands with closed eyes. There was something intimate about it. And very sweet. Then, she undid the clasp of the watch and handed it to Kara. 

“Thank you,” Kara said quietly. “I promise I’ll be careful.” 

“That watch is special to me,” Cat told her, equally as quiet. 

Kara nodded. “I know.” She gingerly began taking the back off with the screwdriver. She knew why the watch was important. “This your billion dollar watch.” She glanced up to Cat, who gave her a surprised look. She talked while she worked. “When you were first starting CatCo, you were barely taking a salary. But you believed that CatCo would be a leading media empire one day.” She moved her fingers slowly, paying careful attention to what she was doing. She took the back off and used the tweezers to place the switch in just the right spot between the mechanics of the watch's movement. “You told yourself that when CatCo made its first billion, you were going to buy the most expensive watch that you could find.” 

It was true. No one thought that Cat Grant would be able to achieve the vision she kept talking about when she was young. But she worked her fingers and her mind to the bone. Now she was as successful as she could ever hope to be. She’d had the watch for a very long time at this point. It always reminded her of where she came from, what she had accomplished, and that no one would ever hold her back. 

She was brought back from her memories when Kara said, “You wear this watch every day to remember everything you’ve been through and how far you’ve come.” She replaced the back of the watch, slipping it back on Cat’s wrist and closing the clasp with a tender kiss to Cat’s hand. 

Cat asked her, “How do you know that?” 

“I try to remember everything you say. You told me that story a long time ago.” She looked off, trying to think back and said sarcastically, “I think I had gotten your lunch order wrong and you were telling me how I would never have a diamond inlaid, gold watch if I couldn’t even get a lunch order right.”

Cat laughed. That sounded like her. “I’m so sorry.” 

Kara laughed, too. She told Cat, “Just press the back of the watch, hard, and it will alert me and the DEO. Try it out.”

Cat reached her thumb under the watch and pushed. A loud alarm sounded from Kara’s boot and made Cat jump. Kara leaned down and pulled her phone out, silencing the alarm. 

“This is for emergencies only,” she emphasized. Cat nodded. She really liked that Kara wanted to take care of her. Then Kara asked, “Can we talk about us for a minute?”

“Of course,” Cat said, though she masked her immediate nervousness. What if Kara had flown all the way here to let her down easy? What if all the touching and kissing was just a cover to make her feel at peace. 

Kara took a breath. She waited before talking, not wanting to say the wrong thing. Then she said, “I’m sorry I’ve been distant the last couple days. I know you’ve noticed it.” Cat nodded again and Kara continued. “You and I are very different and we deal with things very differently. I was letting the long distance get to me and I took it out on you by ignoring you. It won’t happen again.” 

Relief flooded Cat’s mind and she closed her eyes. She leaned in and kissed Kara with the emotion she was feeling. The pressure against her lips made Kara kiss back and she put an arm under Cat’s knees and the other around her back and pulled Cat into her on her lap. 

When they came apart, Kara asked her, “What did you think I was going to say?” 

Cat shook her head. “I don’t know.” An apology wasn’t what she had expected. She had expected Kara to tell her that she needed her to come home as soon as possible. But being here, together now, neither one of them could think of a thing to complain about. “You know, Daniel keeps calling you my special someone,” Cat told her. “Are you sending that to your special someone,” she said, trying her best to imitate his deep Spanish accent. It made Kara laugh. “Now, Ms. Grant, what would your special someone say about that?”

“I need to meet him,” Kara said through her laughter. 

Cat’s smile faded a bit. She became serious when she asked, “Kara, what are we?” Kara’s smile faded, too, at the question. “I mean, you just said girlfriend a minute ago, but this is so new. We just kissed for the first time a week ago and, like you said, it’s been a month and we’ve only seen each other for a few hours.” Cat paused and added, “It’s not exactly a firm foundation.”

Kara knew from the very beginning that Cat would have some insecurities about them. She knew that it was big reason it took them this long to admit their feelings in the first place. Cat had a lot more to think about than she did. Carter, CatCo, board members, appearances, a disapproving mother. And she knew that Cat was much more conscious of the age gap between them. 

But Kara was sure. So she said, “We can build a foundation.” She sounded confident. “When you get home, we spend more time together. I spend time with Carter, you spend time with Alex. We get to know each other better than we already do.”

“You make it sound easy,” Cat said. 

Kara took a breath. She reached up and touched her finger tips to Cat’s face. She wished she could somehow filter the confidence she had in them into Cat. Kara quietly asked her, “What are you scared of?” 

Cat didn’t answer for a while. She softly kissed Kara’s temple, letting her lips linger for a moment. Then she stood from Kara’s lap and walked over to the balcony’s edge. She looked out at the last light from the sun and she closed her eyes. She didn’t want to tell Kara about the things that scared her. It made her feel small and she wasn’t accustomed to that feeling. 

She stood there, debating with herself. Caught between wanting to tell Kara everything and wanting to bottle herself up. She spent precious seconds rolling the thoughts over in her mind. Soon, she felt Kara’s soft but sturdy touch from behind her. Kara’s hands were on her hips. She leaned her back into Kara’s front and let her hands slip from the edge of the balcony to cover Kara’s hands. 

When she spoke, it was barely above a whisper. “I’m afraid that you’ll wake up one day and realize what a mistake this was. You’ll realize that I’m too,” she trailed off, taking a breath. “Too hard. Uncompromising.” She turned in Kara’s arms and finally looked at her. “I’m afraid you’ll see that all the things you think you like about me are actually things you can’t stand.” She looked away again and finished with, “Or that one day you’ll decide I’m too old for you. Or, even worse, that you fall for someone younger while we’re still together.” 

Kara took the words in. She shook her head then she reached her arms around Cat and held her tight and close. Her tall body and strong arms enveloped her. Cat put her head against Kara’s chest and breathed out, relaxing into her. Kara kissed her forehead. Cat let her hands wander under Kara’s cape behind her back so she could hold her a little closer. 

“You listen to me,” Kara said. “I know I’m emotional, but I don’t rush into things without thinking about them. And I have thought about you for a very, very long time. I’ve had feelings for you since before Supergirl. Long before.” She kissed Cat’s forehead again. “And I don’t think you’re hard. And you don’t either.” She smiled a little against Cat’s hair. “The difference in our age never stopped me from thinking of you, and wanting you. And I am never going to leave you.” She pulled back and put a finger under Cat’s chin, guiding her eyes up to Kara’s. “Never. For any reason.” 

Cat saw how sure she was. It put her mind at ease. She leaned up on her toes and kissed Kara’s lips. This time she reached her hands up behind Kara’s neck and pulled her down into the kiss. Kara responded, kissing her back fervently. She let her hands wander under the fabric of Cat’s camisole. She’d been fighting the urge since she’d landed. It was the first time she’d touched Cat like this. On her skin, under her clothes. Her skin was soft on Kara’s hands. Just touching her made Kara’s heart beat faster. She had to take a breath to suppress the heat rising up in her. 

When their lips separated, Cat wasn’t done. Her mouth was immediately on Kara’s neck. Kara made the tiniest moaning sound as Cat sucked at her neck. One of Kara’s hands found the back of Cat’s head and gently held her there. It felt so good. 

Cat didn’t mind. She brushed her lips up and down the skin of Kara’s neck, stopping to place open mouthed kisses, touching her tongue to the spot and eliciting sharp, shallow breathes from Kara. When Kara let out a slightly louder moan, Cat went back to her mouth, kissing her passionately. 

They both gave themselves a moment, knowing that they would have to stop or they wouldn’t stop. Finally, they pulled apart, breathing hard. Cat looked at Kara, and Kara’s eyes were still closed. She leaned back up and placed a light kiss on the corner of her mouth, causing Kara to match the little smile Cat had. She opened her eyes and they looked at each other. 

Cat asked her, “What are you scared of?” 

Kara breathed out a short laugh. It was a fair question. She answered much faster than Cat. She didn’t mind sharing her fears. “I’m scared of you thinking that I’m immature. That there will always be some part of you that thinks I’m childish or silly.” She paused. “What if you decide I’m just not what you want?” She looked down for a second, not sure about the next part. “You’re so far out of my league, Cat. Sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes to make you happy.” 

Cat couldn’t believe it. On the contrary, Kara was the first person that she thought ever would make her truly happy. “Kara,” she whispered, “I’m just a woman.” 

“No,” Kara answered quickly, shaking her head. “You are not just a woman. You’re Cat Grant. You’re powerful and smart and beautiful and worldly. You are everything I’m not. I just don’t know if I can measure up.”

“My darling,” Cat was still whispering, and then she repeated, “I’m just a woman.” Kara opened her mouth to further protest, but Cat simply said, “Shh.” She kissed Kara again, just lightly on the lips. “I don’t think there’s anything in this world that would make me happier than being with you.” 

Kara bit her lip, thinking. She still couldn’t believe this was even happening. She couldn’t believe she was standing on a balcony in Spain with her hands on Cat Grant’s waist. She couldn’t believe Cat was looking at her this way and saying these things to her. She couldn’t believe the woman of her literal dreams was trailing kisses along her jawline right now. 

After Cat took a couple more minutes to kiss Kara’s neck and face and Kara took a couple more minutes to let her fingers roam over the skin under the light fabric of Cat’s camisole, they finally pulled away from each other. 

Kara took a much needed deep breath, centering herself. She needed a distraction or she was done for. She asked Cat, with a nod toward the table were the files and computer were sitting, “Show me what you’ve been working on.”

Cat smiled at her. She was happy to share with Kara all the progress they had been making. She walked over and sat down in the lounge chair, pulling some of the work onto her lap. She left as much room as she could for Kara to join her in the narrow space. 

Kara just looked at Cat, reclining in the lounge chair. She mentally checked herself. She couldn’t help but think how sexy Cat made a simple chair look. She walked over and came to rest next to Cat in the chair, close. Cat reached over to retrieve something from the table, brushing her breasts over Kara’s arm. Kara stiffened and inhaled, trying to cover her reaction. 

Cat looked at her, almost shyly. She pushed a lock of hair behind her own ear and said a quiet, “Sorry.” She genuinely hadn’t meant the move, but she had to admit to herself that she was pleased with Kara’s reaction. Every time Kara reacted to her physically, it set her insecurities a little more at ease. 

“Look at these layouts,” Cat told her, handing her the plastic covered sheets. 

Kara looked them over. There was something familiar about looking at layouts with Cat. She settled in and relaxed a little. “These are good,” she said. 

“Uh huh,” Cat pulled up something on her computer. “Look at these.” It was last month’s layouts. 

Kara gave a hesitant, “Yeah, those aren’t as good.” She scrunched her face in an apologetic expression. “I guess I’ve gotten used to perfection.”

Cat smiled at that, happy that Kara had an appreciation for their work. “Look at this improvement,” she said, holding the new layouts next to screen with the old ones. “In just a month. The people in this office are very talented. They just needed a little guidance.”

“It is very impressive.” Kara couldn’t help the broad smile on her face. She was happy that Cat was happy and she was happy that, evidently, the time away hadn’t been in vain. 

Cat spent the next hour showing Kara all manner of CatCo Spain media, giving her the befores and afters. They nuzzled into each other until Cat’s computer ended up on Kara’s lap and Cat’s head ended up on Kara’s shoulder. She pointed to different files on the screen for Kara to inspect. She pulled up employee profiles and told Kara about the people in the office. She showed her the before and after photos of the remodel. She talked about how many people she’d had to fire and hire. 

Kara slowly realized everything that Cat had been dealing with. She felt a tinge of guilt for being so upset about the distance. Cat was clearly doing everything she could to get the job done well and get home. 

Cat closed her computer and put away all the things she had been showing Kara. She was tired of talking, and that was saying something for Cat Grant. She whispered, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

They both fell silent, simply enjoying being so close. Cat traced her finger tips over Kara’s forearm with her head still resting on her shoulder. They held each other’s hand between their bodies, reclined on the lounge chair. 

Kara let go of Cat’s hand and shifted to prop herself up on an elbow. Cat laid back, losing the shoulder her head had been against. Kara watched her for what seemed like endless seconds. She reached her hand up to barely graze her fingers over Cat’s face from her forehead to her chin, her eyes following the path of her finger tips. 

“I love this, Cat,” Kara told her. “I love being the only one that gets to touch you like this. I love being able to talk to you like this. I love being this close to you. It feels like a privilege, like a gift that you’ve given me.”

Cat never knew how to respond when Kara talked like that. It made her flutter. It was like Kara was kissing her, but with words. It left her speechless. Kara’s eyes were so sincere when she talked like that. It was never contrived and she was never seeking a specific reaction. Cat knew that Kara told her things like that because that’s how she truly felt and she wanted Cat to know. 

Cat only knew one way to respond. She lifted her head from the chair and was quickly met when Kara dipped her head down to capture Cat’s lips in a deep kiss that instantly made her hot all over. 

They kissed with passion, like they had that morning on the tarmac. It was feverish and heavy and they felt desperate for one another. Kara moved to put a knee on the other side of Cat’s hips, straddling her and her hands went everywhere. 

Cat’s fingers were in Kara’s long hair and she was pressing her lips hard against Kara’s, their tongues touching and pushing. She wanted more skin, but the suit was in the way. All she could do was scratch her nails on the back of Kara’s neck and around to her exposed collar bones. Cat was thinking of a monologue in her mind, cursing Kara’s suit, when the girl on top of her slipped her hands up just under Cat’s breasts and all Cat could manage was a mumbled, “Damn suit,” between heavy breathes. 

Kara smothered the words with her mouth on Cat’s. “Probably,” Kara began, but didn’t have enough air in her lungs to finish. She let out a moan as Cat leaned up to kiss her neck. She found a breath to finish, “Probably a good thing.” 

They were squirming in the lounge chair, wanting so much more of each other. Kara’s hands had moved down to cup Cat’s perfectly toned backside and Cat had wrapped her arms so far around Kara’s shoulders that her back came off the chair. Cat felt Kara lift her up a little and she wrapped her legs around Kara’s waist. 

From the sitting position of Kara on her knees with Cat’s legs around her, their eyes met. They were both filled with emotion, but they couldn’t stop themselves. Kara’s lips went to Cat’s chest, pressing kisses under her collar bone. Her skin was so soft and warm. Her hands were under Cat’s shirt again, running up and down her back. 

Kara knew she had to stop or there would be no stopping. But she couldn’t tear her lips away from Cat’s chest. She wanted to keep going, working her way down to supple breasts. She breathed out, trembling, barely a whisper, “Cat.” 

She forced herself to stop kissing Cat, breathing hard with the effort to control herself. She leaned her forehead against Cat’s chest. Cat understood, though if Kara hadn’t stopped herself, Cat hadn’t intended to stop her. But she knew it was the right choice. They’d only just kissed for the first time a week ago. They’d only just made a commitment to each other. It was much too soon for what they both wanted. 

“Shh,” Cat tried to sooth Kara. She pulled Kara’s hair away from her face and off her back, draping it to the side to help her cool off. She blew a gentle cool, breath against the back of Kara’s neck, calming her. She released the tight hold her legs had around Kara’s middle and sat back down against the reclining chair. “Come here, let me hold you.”

She drew Kara against herself. She could feel her shaking with adrenaline. The heat radiating through Cat’s own body began to subside. She rubbed circles over Kara’s back, under her cape. She was surprised at her own tenderness. She closed her eyes and breathed out. 

Kara laughed a small, closed mouth laugh. “You got me all hot and bothered,” she said quietly. 

Cat simply smiled and kissed the top of her head, holding her a little tighter. She knew it in that moment. The certainty of it almost overwhelmed her. She was glad Kara wasn’t looking at her, otherwise she would see the tears in Cat’s eyes. Cat couldn’t deny it. She was unquestionably, completely, deeply in love with Kara Danvers. 

She took a breath in and swallowed, trying to relax the muscles in her throat, not wanting to cry in front of Kara. When she finally spoke, her usual confidence was in place. “I’m certainly not apologizing for that.”

Kara smiled and said, “I wouldn’t want you to.” 

Cat relaxed into the back of the chair and ran her fingers through Kara’s hair. Kara didn’t dare move from her spot, splayed over Cat with her head on her chest. She loved the feeling of Cat’s small but sure arms around her. 

They talked quietly into the night. They made plans for after Cat came home. They talked about the future and how they would begin to build something. Finally, Cat was talking about telling Carter about them and suggested they take him out and do something special, just the three of them. Cat asked, “Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”

When no answer came, she shifted to look at Kara’s face. She was fast asleep. Cat smiled at her sleeping superhero, tucking Kara’s head protectively under her chin. She didn’t want Kara to go. But she knew the work day was beginning back home. And she knew Kara carried a lot of responsibility.

She wasn’t sure what to do. She bit her bottom lip, considering. Then she picked up Kara’s phone. She turned it on and opened the messaging app. The first conversation on the list was with her. The corners of her lips lifted at that. The second conversation was with Alex. She tapped it, then hesitated. She hoped she wasn’t over stepping. 

She typed, _‘Alex, this is Cat. She fell asleep. Should I wake her? Does she need to get back?’_

Cat quickly silenced the device so the answer would wake Kara. Alex responded, _‘We don’t need her here, but James will be wondering where she is.’_

 _‘I can email our assistant and tell her she’s going to be out for the day, though I’m afraid if I tried to contact James, he would know it’s not her,’_ Cat texted, holding the phone up over Kara’s sleeping body. 

Alex’s reply was quick. _‘We can actually clone her phone here. I’ll contact James if you contact Rachel.’_

Cat was liking Alex even more. She typed, _‘Will do. Thank you, Alex.’_

_‘No, thank you. She doesn’t rest often enough and I have a feeling you don’t either.’_

Cat pulled up Kara’s email, quickly firing off an email to Rachel making up something about being out of the office today. Then she set the phone down and settled back into the chair, putting her arms back around Kara and closing her eyes. She was too insecure to say it to Kara when she was awake, but too committed not to say it at all. She let the words slip from her mouth as quietly as she could. “I love you.” Then sleep overtook her. 

They slept like that for several hours, on the balcony, wrapped in one another. Until the rays of the sun began to peek over the horizon. Kara stirred. The first thing she heard was the beating of a heart against her ear. Her memories floated back and she remembered where she was. She pressed the palm of her hand into the chair, making a move to get up. 

Then she heard a groggy and whispered, “Wait.” 

Kara picked her head up and placed a soft kiss on the smaller woman’s chest. She suddenly felt rushed when she said, “I can’t believe I slept all night. I have to get back. I should be at work.”

“Shh,” Cat said, eyes still closed, refusing to move. “You’re ruining our first morning together talking about work.” 

Kara laughed a little through her lingering sleep. The sound made Cat finally open her eyes. She pulled Kara back down into her and said, “I emailed Rachel from your account and told her you’d be out today and Alex cloned your phone and got a hold of James.” She paused and added, “You don’t have anywhere to be.”

Kara began to relax again, but only for a second before she quickly sat up and grabbed her phone. She looked through her messages and looked at Cat, smiling. “You used my phone? Isn’t that fraud, or something?”

“Darling, technically, I own your email account. So I basically emailed myself,” Cat replied. 

Kara shook her head, reading over the conversation with Alex. “Thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say. She was grateful to be waking up in Spain, with Cat. She slowly leaned back down and pressed her lips to Cat’s. The kiss lingered and Cat brought her hands to Kara’s face. 

Kara’s head turned suddenly and her eyes narrowed. She said, “There’s someone at the door.” Just then, there was a knock. 

“Breakfast,” Cat said. “They bring it every morning.”

Over the next hour, they talked while they ate breakfast and Cat got ready for work. She had invited Kara into the suite, but Kara opted to stay outside, for one, to absorb the sun’s rays, but also, she didn’t trust herself to let Cat get ready. When she was ready, she walked back out to the balcony. 

Kara turned to her. She looked so good. Kara quickly covered the few steps to put her arms around Cat. “I don’t want to go.”

“I don’t want you to go,” Cat said. “But,” Cat pulled back to look at her, “I have an idea that might get me home soon.”

Kara’s eyes widened. “How soon?”

Cat answered, “A week. Or so, maybe. But hopefully a week.”

Kara gave a wide smile and pulled Cat back in, saying enthusiastically, “That would be amazing!”

Cat laughed. “It would be.” After a moment, she pulled away and out of Kara’s arms. “Now you need to go. You have been much too distracting for the last twelve hours, Kara Danvers.” Kara was still smiling. She moved slowly toward Cat. Cat held up a finger. “I’m serious. I have to get some things done today.” She took a step back, teasing Kara. 

Kara kept up her advance until she had her arms around Cat again and she leaned in and pressed their lips together. 

“I’m serious, Kara,” Cat said between kisses. “I need to go if I’m going to,” Kara placed light kisses along her jawline. “Mmm, to get this done.” She reached a hand to Kara’s hair. “And you need to go,” she moved to capture Kara’s lips again in a hot kiss that had their tongues dancing. After several seconds, she broke the kiss, pulling back. “You need to go keep our home safe.”

Kara finally relinquished her hold on Cat. They watched each other for a minute. Kara took a deep breath and walked over to the balcony’s edge. “I’ll see you soon.” 

“Give me a week,” Cat said with a smile. 

“If it’s one hour more,” Kara said emphatically, “I’m coming back here and I’m bringing you home myself.”

Cat laughed. “Deal.”

With one last smile, Kara turned toward the sky and shot straight up in a blur. Cat watched her until she was gone. Then she gathered her things and prepared to head to the office. 

“Time to get home,” she whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cat is finally almost finished in Madrid. But, of course, not without hitting a couple snags first.


	8. A New Chief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter picks up right where the last one leaves off.

That morning, Cat was in the HR office for over an hour. She waited to go up to the office floor until she had the document envelopes in hand. This was too important to wait for people to procrastinate until the end of the day. She paced around the office, rushing the HR director with narrowed eyes. 

She got into the elevator and looked at her watch to check the time, then she hit the button for the second floor. As the doors closed, Cat glanced back down to her watch. She smiled at the memory from the night before. Kara tenderly convincing her to fork over the personal treasure with gentle kisses to her hand. There was something reassuring about knowing that Kara didn’t simply want to meet Cat on an emotional or physical level. Kara wanted to take care of her, protect her. She had put the button in the watch to be sure that if Cat needed her, she would know, and she would come.

The elevator door opened and Cat took a quick breath before exiting. Raquel was waiting at her desk and stood when the elevator arrived. She handed Cat her latte and began to rattle off Cat’s to do list for the day. She followed Cat into her office and finished with, “And I need you to approve some details for the launch party on Friday.”

Once Cat was behind her desk, she looked up at Raquel. She tilted her head and took the girl in for a moment. Raquel suddenly looked intimidated, nervous that she’d done something wrong. She didn’t dare speak. 

Finally, Cat said, “You’re a very good assistant, Raquel. Thank you for all your help these last several weeks.”

Raquel gave a little smile. “Thank you Ms. Grant. Thank you very much.” She set down some papers on Cat’s desk that needed her signature and quickly left the room to go back to her own desk before Cat had a chance to take back the compliment. 

Cat didn’t sit down, though. She still had the envelopes in her hands. She looked out to the bullpen and watched the, now well oiled, staff while they worked. She’d gotten to know many of them well. Some, not so well. Mostly because there were many new hires. 

She made her way slowly back out of her office, walking across the bullpen to the back wall. When she had first arrived, it had been a terrible mustard yellow color and had two small windows. Now, it was bright, with four foot windows along the length of the wall. 

She looked outside and watched for a bit as the construction crew was finishing up the outdoor patio. The first floor was finished. They had built a second floor patio above it that would be accessible from right here in the bullpen, much like the balconies back in the National City office. It would be finished by the end of the week, as their big launch party would be taking place on the patio and open to the public. 

Cat turned back, once again crossing the bullpen area and heading down the private office hallway. She came to Daniel’s office door, which was always open. She knocked lightly and he lifted his head. 

With a smile he said, “Good morning, Ms. Grant. What can I do for you?” He reached over to turn off the three televisions he had playing in the corner. 

She came in, taking one of the large document envelopes, she set it down on the desk in front of him. He gave her a confused look. 

“Open it,” she told him. 

Daniel slowly opened the envelop, pulling out the small stack of papers. As he read over them, his eyes widened slightly and Cat smiled a little as she watched. It was an offer package. Cat couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it sooner. 

After a moment, Daniel looked back up to her and asked, “Me?” 

Cat responded confidently. “You.” 

He began to shake his head slowly. “Ms. Grant, I’m flattered. But are you sure? I have never had the kind of responsibility that you talking about here,” he said, indicating the papers. 

She nonchalantly waved her hands. “Of course you have. It’s exactly like heading the news department. You’re just in charge of more people.” Of course, there was much more to it than that. But she knew Daniel was fully capable.

He breathed out a laugh, not quite believing what was happening. Then he said, “I don’t even know about the broadcast network or how to run it.” 

Cat set the second envelope down in front of him. “Yes, that’s why you need a broadcast director. And your wife would be perfect.”

Daniel stared at her. His mouth was open like he was trying to think of something to say. His eye brows knit together as he thought. He asked, “Why me?”

Cat came to sit down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She said, “Because you have integrity, and passion. Because you know the news and because you know this city and this country better than any one I’ve talked to since I’ve been here.” She softened her voice and continued, “You love Madrid the way I love National City. I interviewed several people for this position and vetted dozens.” She paused. “None of them measure up to you. You’re smart, you’re driven, and you’re committed. You’ve been working twelve plus hour days since I arrived. Maria, too.” She took a breath and finished with, “You can learn everything you need to know. There’s no one better than you to be the editor in chief of CatCo Spain.”

Daniel looked back down at the papers. He was surprised. Part of him had hoped she would ask him, but he knew he was under qualified. And, Cat wasn’t one to slack on quality. But he had underestimated her. Evidently, her idea of quality wasn’t what he had anticipated. 

Cat could tell he was still unsure. So she told him, “I know it may seem daunting. But I will train you as best I can this week, here, and after that, we will talk every day and I will answer every question.”

Then Daniel spoke. “This week?” He paused. “So you’re going home.”

She nodded. “I am.” Then she quickly added, “And you know that I wouldn’t if I weren’t confident in the hands I was leaving this office in.” She stood back up. “So what do you say?”

Daniel was still somewhat speechless. He looked at her with his mouth open again. Finally, Cat rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Daniel, you’re wasting precious time sitting there with your mouth hanging open like a catfish. Just say yes so we can move forward.”

He quickly closed his mouth and smiled brightly. He stood enthusiastically holding up his hands and said a loud, “Yes!”

Cat smiled, too, and said a simple, “Good.” She took a step toward the desk and held out her hand to him. He happily took it and shook it fiercely so that Cat’s arm shook all the way up to her shoulder. His obvious glee made her happy. 

She picked the second envelope back up, “Let’s go upstairs and talk to your wife.” 

They made their way upstairs and found Maria. Her reaction was much less tempered than Daniel’s. She threw her arms around Cat with an ecstatic, “Yes, yes, yes!” Her joy was infectious. Cat smiled widely as Maria continued to smother her with the hug, jumping up and down a bit. 

The three of them went to lunch and talked about everything. Daniel and Maria, understandably, had dozens of questions. Cat answered them patiently and they listened attentively. They both had notepads out, writing down every piece of direction, instruction, and wisdom Cat offered. 

She could tell they were both nervous, but eager. She also knew that they would make a great team and that they would encourage each other through any doubt. They decided to have a staff meeting the next morning to make the announcement. By the end of the day, Daniel and Maria had both signed their offer papers. Cat was thrilled. 

She and Daniel were the last ones out of the office that evening. They stopped at the white board in the bullpen. She looked up at Daniel with a smile. Picking up the marker, she slowly made a line through 'contratar in editor jefe.' 

Later, when she was finally back in her hotel room, she took out her phone. As she pulled off her high heels, she typed a text to Kara. ‘Call me when you’re on your way to the office.’ She couldn’t wait to share the news. 

After a while, Cat was climbing into bed when her phone rang. She quickly grabbed it, seeing Kara’s face on the screen. She smiled and slid her finger to answer the call. She said a quiet, sleepy, “Hey.”

“Hi!” Kara’s voice was light with her usual morning brightness. “How was your day?” 

“It was good,” Cat said. “I hired someone today.”

“Oh yeah?” 

Cat heard the question in her voice. “Uh huh.” She paused, then she told Kara, “The new editor in chief of CatCo Spain.” Kara was silent on the other side of the call. Cat could hear the muffled sound of people bustling around and the noise from the street through the phone as Kara walked to work. 

On the other side of the world, Kara had stopped walking. She stood under an awning, pressing her lips together with her eyes closed, holding back a few tears caused by the relief that had instantly flooded through her. She heard Cat say in her ear, “Kara?”

Kara opened her eyes. She took a deep breath, pushing the emotion aside so she could simply keep walking. “Yeah, I’m here.” Then she let out a laugh, the relief giving way to happiness. “Cat, that’s fantastic.” Cat gave a small laugh on the other end and Kara asked, “Who is it?”

“Daniel Martínez,” Cat answered. 

Kara’s eyes widened as she walked. “Daniel? That’s brilliant. Why didn’t you ask him before?”

“Well, I didn’t really think of it until we went to dinner last week. Just hearing him talk about Madrid and Spain and how he loves everything about this place. He knows the politics here and he knows culture.” She paused. “It seemed to fit after that.”

Kara said, “It reminded you of you, didn’t it?”

Cat asked her, “Is that silly?”

“No,” Kara replied. “It isn’t silly at all. It’s perfect.” 

They were both quiet for a minute. Cat still heard the sounds from the street and she asked, “Where are you?”

Kara smiled. “Crossing the street to CatCo Plaza.” 

Cat closed her eyes, thinking of home. She sighed as she imagined Kara walking through the plaza, through the doors, across the lobby and up to the office. She missed Kara already, though she had just seen her that morning. She missed Carter. She missed National City. “I’m ready to come home,” she said. 

Kara could hear the weariness in her voice. She lingered in the lobby, wanting to stay on the phone as long as she could. “I’m so ready for you to be home.” She lowered her voice to a whisper in case someone she knew heard. “It doesn’t feel like we were just together.” 

“I know.” Something about the distance made time seem to stretch out. “Just a few more days.” Cat’s eyes were getting heavy. Kara could hear it. 

“Get some sleep. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Cat suppressed the instinct to tell Kara she loved her before hanging up. “Okay, bye.” 

“Goodnight, Cat.” Kara tapped her phone to end the call. She breathed deeply and headed toward the elevators. She rode up feeling an anticipation. She couldn’t wait for Cat to be home in general, but she also couldn’t wait to have Cat back at CatCo. It just wasn’t the same without her. The normal driving current that ran through the office was missing. The passion that Cat brought to everyday tasks wasn’t there. And Cat’s office, sitting empty day after day, was a constant reminder that their fearless leader was not present. 

Kara wanted to tell everyone. When the elevator opened, she bit her tongue and made her way to her office. She sat down at her desk and unwrapped her breakfast. No sooner had she taken a bite than her phone rang. She answered when she saw it was Alex. 

“Hey,” Kara said. 

“Hey, I know it’s early but we need you. Rogue alien,” Alex told her.

Kara rolled her eyes as she set her food back down. “Alex, I just got to work.”

Alex paused. “Well, at least you don’t have to worry about your boss firing you anymore.”

Kara considered and tilted her head from side to side. “Can’t argue with that. I’ll be right there.” xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few days later, things were progressing quickly at CatCo Spain. It was morning and Cat and Raquel were outside on the first floor of the patio making arrangements for the launch party. The patios were perfect. The landscaping was done. The tables had been installed. The fountain was running. The best part was the small jumbo screen that had been put up over the second floor patio. Similar to the one in CatCo Plaza back home. Everyone on the street would be listening to CatCo. Passers by were already stopping to take a look. 

Cat, always trying to sell CatCo, would stop and talk with people as they walked by, using Raquel to speak for her when needed. She personally invited everyone she talked with to the public party on Friday. She was proud of what they had accomplished in just under a month and a half. 

As they walked back inside, Cat walked straight to the white board. She picked up the marker and slipped it across the items that said ‘patio al aire libre’ and ‘elevar la moral.’ Only a very few items remained, and they would all be crossed through in the next couple days. She set the marker down and turned back to look over the office. 

Every time Cat stopped at the white board, employees would look up to see what she was marking through. When she turned around she caught several eyes giving her an approving look. She found herself stealing glances around CatCo Spain a lot this week. As much as she wanted to be home and knew that it was time to go, she had developed an affection for this place and these people. 

Pulling out her phone, Cat took a step back from the white board and snapped a picture. She walked back to her office and sat down. She sent the picture to Kara. It was late there, Cat hoped she didn’t wake her. 

In National City, Kara was laying in bed with her eyes closed, waiting for sleep to come. An alert from her phone made her open her eyes. It had become typical at this point for Cat to send a message around this time. Morning for her, night for Kara. 

She opened the message and smiled at the picture. She loved that Cat sent a picture of the board a couple times a week. She sent back, _‘That looks amazing.’_

Cat shot back, _‘I bet you look amazing.’_

Kara giggled in her bed. Cat had been getting flirty the closer they got to her coming home. Kara liked it. She tried to think of a witty response, but she couldn’t before another text came through and Cat asked her, _‘How was your day?’_

 _‘Good. Spent most of it writing. It was nice to have an uneventful day,’_ Kara sent back.

The response came, _‘I can’t wait to read it.’_

Kara closed her eyes, looking forward to the day when Cat would be home and, instead of text conversations, she would hold her and they would talk late into the night face to face. 

Another message came. _‘You’ve turned me into a big softie.’_

Kara smiled again and asked, _‘What do you mean?’_ She wished Cat could see her smile.

_‘I don’t normally miss people like I miss you.’_

Kara sent back, _‘You’re making me blush.’_

 _‘:-) Get some sleep,’_ Cat typed. 

Kara laughed out loud. _‘Cat Grant, is that an emoji?’_

_‘No, typo. My thumb slipped.’_

_‘Lol!’_

Cat told her again, _‘Get some sleep. Talk to you soon.’_

Cat put her phone down with a smile and busied herself. Just then, Maria walked up to her door with a soft knock. Cat looked up at her with a, “Morning, Maria.”

“Buenos días,” Maria said to her. Then she said, “Get your things. We’re going.”

Cat didn’t even bother to give her a confused look. In a short time, she has already gotten accustomed to Maria’s whimsical nature. She was a spontaneous and playful person. But Cat was trying to stay focused for just a couple more days. So she told Maria, “No. Whatever it is, no. I have a lot to do before the party tomorrow.”

“Yes,” Maria agreed. “One of those things must be getting a new dress.” 

Cat immediately stopped the movements of her hands from shuffling through the papers on her desk. A new dress did sound nice. Maria saw her opening at Cat’s hesitation. She stepped into the office and grabbed Cat’s purse and then her arm. “Come,” she said, simply, with a wide smile and a little pull on Cat’s arm. 

Cat just smiled back and shook her head. Soon, the two were taking the stairs down and headed across the lobby and out the door. Maria drove her to a street called Serrano. 

Cat had two natural habitats, the office and upscale shopping. She hadn’t been shopping with a friend in ages. She tried to think back and found that she actually couldn’t remember the last time. Suddenly, she was very grateful for Maria’s way of reaching out to her over these last few weeks. 

They spent the next few hours wandering in and out of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, and many others. Cat certainly didn’t need a personal shopper while she was with Maria. The woman knew her designers. She would simply look at something and tell Cat exactly how it would fit her. 

They stopped for lunch at a chic little café close to the Jardín de Serrano. As they were eating Cat asked her, “How did you and Daniel meet?”

“We met at CatCo,” she told her.

Cat raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

Maria nodded and smiled. “I had just been hired as a script writer for the network and Daniel was a reporter.”

“What kept the two of you at CatCo for so long?”

Maria's smile softened a bit. She told Cat, “We have always believed in CatCo’s mission to report unbiased news.” She shrugged. “It’s incredibly difficult to do. Finding commentators who aren’t out to advance any particular idea, reporting social and political issues without advocating. Including everyone and every point of view.” 

Hearing Maria’s understanding was important to Cat. It made her even more sure that Daniel and Maria were the right people for the job. Maria continued with, “Also, we both love being a part of an outlet that does everything. Newspapers, magazines, television, digital. It’s wonderful.” She paused. “You truly have built something magnificent Cat. And you have done it with so much more grace than every other person who has tried the same thing.”

Cat appreciated the compliment. There were other news and media outlets out there that were similar to Catco, certainly. But CatCo was the only one founded, built, and run by a woman. It gave the entire process a different touch. It was actually quite remarkable. Cat knew it, and she was grateful when others recognized it. Not because of pride, but because of how hard she had worked to set herself and CatCo apart. 

After lunch, Maria and Cat walked a little way down the Golden Mile, chatting about everything. They had yet to find a dress for either one of them for the party, but they found many other items that they had dropped in Maria’s car before lunch. But now, Maria had her arm linked with Cat’s, pulling her up to one last shop. Cat looked at the sign, Roberto Verino. Then she looked at the window displays. She smiled a tiny smile. They would surely have something perfect. 

“We should have started with a Spanish designer in the first place,” Maria said. Thanks to Maria’s impeccable eye, they were in and out in less than an hour with more than one dress a piece. “We cannot tell Daniel about this shopping trip,” she told Cat as they appraised the dozen or so shopping bags in Maria’s trunk. 

“My lips are sealed,” Cat responded with a smile. 

Soon, they were back at the office. No sooner had Cat exited the elevator than Raquel was bustling up to her to tell her about all the calls she had missed during her impromptu shopping trip. She turned to give a goodbye wave to Maria as the elevator doors closed to take her back up to the broadcast floor. 

The afternoon went on normally. Cat and Daniel were in her office discussing the team of department heads he was putting together. Out of nowhere, Cat heard an alarmed, “Ms. Grant,” from Raquel’s desk. 

She looked up and followed the girl’s eyes to the elevator where a familiar face had just come onto the floor. Cat instantly felt trepidation in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t expected to see the man again, especially after the way she had fired him. But there he was. 

Hugo Sanchez strode casually into the bullpen, one hand in his pocket and a strange smile on his face. His demeanor immediately made Cat nervous. She and Daniel stood slowly and came out of Cat’s office. 

Cat quietly said to Raquel, without moving her eyes from Hugo’s, “Raquel, call security.”

She moved to pick up the phone when Hugo made a quick move, taking his hand from his pocket and pulling out a little, dark object with it. “I wouldn’t do that,” he said sharply, leveling a small semi automatic pistol at Raquel. The girl froze.

Everyone’s eyes widened. No one moved. Hugo looked over to Cat, pointing the gun right at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's a little random. BUT, it wouldn't really be an episodic Supercat story if Kara didn't have to swoop in and save Cat at least once. 
> 
> Right? Am I right?!


	9. Last Day

Cat was frozen. She couldn’t talk. She couldn’t move. No one could. Her eyes kept flicking back and forth between the barrel of the gun and Hugo's face. He had a cocky half grin on his lips and Cat noticed he wasn’t sweating and didn’t seem the least bit stressed. It was clear in only the couple of minutes that Hugo had been in the room that he wasn’t a political zealot. He was insane. It showed in his eyes, and it scared Cat. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Daniel made a move to put himself in front of Cat. It only took Hugo moving his arm a few inches to turn the gun on Daniel. “Don’t be a hero, Señor Martínez.”

Cat remembered how make her limbs move and she held her hand in front of Daniel, keeping him in his place. Her eyes darted quickly around the room. Raquel, the fearful employees in the bullpen, some sitting, some standing, a brave few considering what to do. Cat saw Daniel from the corner of her eye. His muscles were tense. Cat knew he was going to try something. She also knew too well how badly things could go wrong when someone tried something. 

She tried to defuse the situation and quietly said, “No one’s going to try to be a hero.” She turned to Daniel and gave him a pointed look, silently asking him to stand down. She looked back to Hugo and told him, “You’re the boss now, Mr. Sanchez.”

He nodded his head with a smile. “That’s right. I’m the boss now.” He pointed the gun in Cat’s direction again. Her heart was pounding. She remembered the protective instinct she’d felt for Kara the first time Livewire had attacked them in the office. She felt the same instinct again, her eyes once again surveying everyone in the bullpen. She needed to think of a way to get everyone out. 

Hugo began yelling at everyone. “I’m the boss now, and you are all going to listen to me for once!” He flailed the gun around wildly in all directions, making his point. While he was lost in his frenzy, Cat took the opportunity to swiftly slip her thumb under the back of her watch and she pressed as hard as she could. She could only hope Kara got the signal. When Hugo looked back and took a step closer, Cat slowly took a couple steps to the side, distancing herself from Daniel lest Hugo fire, miss her and hit him. 

“I want to listen to you, Hugo,” Cat told him. “I want to. But with all these people, it’s difficult. Maybe you can get them to leave and you and I can talk.”

Hugo stared at her. He looked like he was thinking about it. He was beginning to breathe harder. Cat kept thinking to herself, a few minutes, she’ll be here in a few minutes. Finally, Hugo took a deep breath and simply said, “No.” Cat didn’t like the sound of that. Hugo lowered his voice and when he spoke, it was menacing. “I want everyone to see it when I shoot you in the heart.” 

Cat was terrified, but she didn’t back down. It wasn’t in her nature. She took control of her body, forcing it not to visibly react, despite her fear. She fixed her face in the same intimidating look that she had given Hugo the day she told him to pack his things and get out. She took a single step toward him and made herself look unafraid as she put her hands on her hips and said, “You don’t scare me. And you don’t scare them.” She looked around, trying to meet as many eyes as she could. If she couldn’t get them out of there, then she would have to rally them together after all.

They stood there, engaged in a battle of wills.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Across an ocean and a continent, Kara’s phone made a loud alert and woke her instantly from her sleep. The noise seemed deafening in her alien ears against the quiet of the very early morning hours. She recognized the sound immediately. 

She shot up to a sitting position in her bed and reached for her phone. A picture of Cat’s beautiful face was on the screen, along with the red backlight accompanying the alarm. “No,” she whispered, as energy began to course through her. 

Kara was in her super suit in seconds. She grabbed the earpiece that had been beside her phone on the night stand. She jumped out the window, jamming the tiny device in her ear and waited for Alex’s voice while she climbed high to be able to cover more of the earth more quickly. 

She flew as fast as she could toward the rising sun. Tears were forming in her eyes as fear mounted inside her. Half way over the Atlantic, she heard Alex say, “Kara, she’s at the CatCo building. When you get to Madrid, you’ll see a large park near the city’s center. Head north. Just before you get to a highway, you’ll see four sky scrapers. If you look west, you’ll see CatCo. The logo is painted on the roof.”

She couldn’t muster the self control to respond to Alex. She was too scared to talk. What the hell was happening? She was overcome with an urgency she had never felt before. 

Kara flew faster. So fast, the edges of her vision began to blur. She forced herself to a stop when she was over the city. She quickly spotted the park and looked to the north. She had to calm herself. Her eyes were darting around so fast, she was afraid she would miss what she was looking for. She saw the four sky scrapers and flew in their direction, searching to the west. There. There is was. CatCo Spain. 

As she came closer she turned all her super senses into overdrive. She scanned each floor from the top down with her x-ray vision. Then, she spotted her, on the second floor. She took a breath in when she saw a man pointing a gun right at her. 

She landed as quickly and as quietly as she could just outside the new door connecting the bullpen to the outdoor patio. She arrived just in time to hear Cat say, “You don’t scare me. And you don’t scare them.” 

The defiant voice was music to Kara’s ears. She looked around surveying the situation. Cat had her hands on her hips, but Kara could hear the small woman’s heart beating hard and fast. Cat was afraid. 

On the other side of the door, Cat saw the familiar red and blue blur land outside the door. She felt herself begin to regain control of her racing heart. Then Hugo said, “You should be scared. I’m the one holding all the cards now, Ms. Grant.” He moved to put both hands on the gun, gripping it tighter, preparing for the kick. Cat had time to take one short breath before the shot rang out in her ears. 

For Kara, everything moved in slow motion. She didn’t even bother to use the handle to pull the door open. She broke through the door, causing tiny bits of glass to fly as the screeching of tearing metal sounded. 

She moved with super speed between desks, papers flying up and around with the wind she created. She had heard the click of the hammer before it even fired the shot and had begun moving before the bullet even left the chamber. As she dashed faster, everything else went slower. She could see the bullet. The goldish gleam of the case, the rotation caused by the ridges in the gun’s barrel, the tail stream it created as it sliced through the air. It was all crystal clear to her sharp eyes. 

The bullet flew almost as fast as Kara. Almost. But Supergirl was, in fact, faster than a speeding bullet. Her bright eyes followed it toward it’s intended target. She saw Cat’s wide eyes, glued to the gun, her lips were parted and Kara saw the utter fear on her face as the bullet sped in her direction. 

Then Kara caught up to it. She passed her hand in front of the bullet, wrapping her fingers around it as it struck the palm of her hand. It was so close that she felt the fabric of Cat’s shirt on the back of her knuckles. It had been headed straight for her beating heart. Surely, it would have killed her. 

What seemed to take minutes for Kara happened in a split second for Cat. She felt the breeze in her hair that Kara made as she rushed up to her, so fast that Cat thought she might have imagined it. 

But then she watched as Kara slowed back down to a normal speed. Her eyes were on Hugo. She dropped the bullet from her hand. It fell to the floor, tapping a few times before it settled, crushed from Kara squeezing it. 

Cat watched as Kara stalked up to Hugo and, in one smooth move, grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off his feet. She quickly slammed him into the floor on his back, hard. He cried out with the pain of a few cracking bones. 

Kara’s fingers were tight around his throat and he was gasping for air as she knelt beside him on one knee, pushing him into the floor. His face was turning red. 

Cat dropped her hands from her hips when she realized that Kara was losing control. She said a firm, “Supergirl.” Kara’s eyes snapped up to meet Cat’s for the first time. Cat tried to soften her tone and her expression when she said, “I think you got him.” 

She saw the shift in Kara’s eyes, like she was coming out of a trance. She looked back down at Hugo, releasing her hold on his neck. He coughed for air. 

Just then, Daniel came rushing out of his office with a roll of duct tape. It was the best thing he could find. Kara saw it in his hand and quickly knew what he was thinking. She roughly pushed Hugo onto his stomach. He made a sound of agony as the bruised bones were forced to move. Daniel made quick work of taping his feet. 

As Daniel moved to begin taping his hands behind his back, Kara stood. She looked at Cat with a worried face and quietly asked, “Are you alright?”

Cat’s face genuinely softened at the super hero’s concern. She just looked at Kara for a second. She was breathing hard, her hair was disheveled from flying so fast, and Cat could tell she was shaken. She wanted to go to her. She wanted to wrap her arms around her. But she couldn’t. Not here. 

So she lifted her chin and replaced the soft expression with a confident one. “Of course, I’m fine.” She paused, then added, a little quieter, “Thanks to you.” They watched each other. 

Daniel’s voice caused them both to blink, breaking eye contact. “Supergirl,” he said with a smile. “Thank you so much for coming.” She gave him a polite smile that seemed tight to Cat. “But how did you know?”

Kara paused, trying to think. “I keep tabs on Ms. Grant,” she said to him and left it at that. She ignored his narrowed eyes and turned to Cat. “Can I talk to you?”

Cat hesitated. They were both conflicted, not knowing how to handle such a familiar situation with their new and, in many ways, still unfamiliar relationship. Cat barely nodded and indicated for Kara to follow her. She led her to the conference room, holding the door open while Kara passed into the room. 

She closed the door and Kara turned to her with eyes full of worry. They stared at each other, still unsure. Kara's eyes flited over Cat’s form. Cat fiddled with her necklace, trying to distract and calm herself. 

Kara’s face was compassionate when she said, “You're shaking.” She took a few steps to close the distance between them, holding her hands out to comfort Cat. But when she was close enough to touch her, Cat took a step back and walked passed her. The move hurt Kara’s feelings. It felt like rejection. 

“That’s ridiculous, Supergirl. I told you, I'm perfectly fine,” Cat said casually, trying uselessly to mask the still subsiding fear. 

Tears stung Kara’s eyes. “Maybe I’m not fine,” she said sternly, as she roughly wiped away a rogue tear that fell over her eye lid. Then there was another. She reached up to quickly dab away the tears with the end of her sleeves. But Cat turned soon enough to see them. 

Her mask faltered and her eyes showed her emotions. She came over to Kara and stood in front of her. Their eyes locked and Cat let the charade go. She reached up to comb her fingers through Kara’s hair and Kara’s eyes slipped closed. She let the comfort of the touch wash over her. 

Cat brought her hands to settle on Kara’s face and she whispered, “I’m sorry.” She rubbed her thumbs across Kara’s tear stained cheeks and slowly shook her head. “I’m still learning how to be vulnerable.” 

Kara took her hands, just long enough to kiss her palms. Then she let them go and put her arms around Cat’s shoulders and pulled her into herself, drawing her head to her chest. They molded into each other. Now, this was familiar. 

Cat took deep breathes, relaxing into Kara. Her super hero’s steady heart beat and strong arms grounded her. She felt the shaking and the cold feeling leave her. 

“You’re coming home with me,” Kara said, putting a hand on Cat’s hair, gently holding her in place. 

Cat smiled a little. “No, I’m not.”

Then Kara smiled. Cat was so stubborn. She suddenly remembered that day when she had rushed into Cat’s office to tell her that Livewire had escaped and that Cat needed to leave. She was stubborn then too. Kara thought of Cat’s response then. ‘Staying put,’ she had said, unmoving. It was one of the things Kara loved most about her. Her unwavering confidence and her ability to stand. 

“Then I’m staying here with you until you come home,” Kara told her. 

Cat lifted her head enough to look at Kara with a warm smile. “No, you’re not. You can’t be gone that long. You or Kara Danvers.” She lowered her voice. “Thank you for coming.”

Kara matched Cat’s quiet tone. “I flew as fast as I could. I was so scared, Cat.”

Cat nodded. “Me, too. But I knew you would come.” 

They were staring again, unable to look away from each other. Kara brought her hand to cup Cat’s jaw. She was drawn by those green eyes. She leaned in and her lips met Cat’s in the softest kiss they had shared. Their lips barely pressed against one another. They took their time, coming apart and back together again, slowly. Their foreheads were touching and they both just breathed. 

Finally, Kara pulled back and asked Cat, “Who was that guy anyway?” 

Cat rolled her eyes. “Ex employee. I fired him weeks ago.”

A sarcastic look came across Kara’s face. “An ex employee, Cat, really? It’s becoming a cliché.” 

Cat laughed a little at that. “We should probably get back out there,” she said. Kara let out a breath and nodded. 

Cat turned to walk back toward the door. Kara followed but just before Cat reached for the knob, she reached out and pulled a little on Cat’s hips from behind, stopping her. She came to stand flush against Cat’s back. Their eyes closed at the proximity. Kara leaned closer and whispered in Cat’s ear, “I need you home.”

Cat was instantly affected. She felt a shiver run through her whole body. Her face was flushed. She unconsciously reached a hand up behind her to Kara’s hair. Kara used her nose to move Cat’s hair away from her neck and she planted kisses up and down the length of the exposed skin. 

“Kara,” Cat breathed out, barely a whisper. She formed a circle with her lips and breathed out hard, tearing herself out of Kara’s arms. She quickly turned to face her and narrowed her eyes. “You’re making it hard for me on purpose, aren’t you?”

Kara just shrugged her shoulders with a playful look on her face. Cat shook her head and pushed Kara an arm’s length away with a hand on her chest. They smiled at each other. Cat opened the door and the two walked back out to the bullpen, trying to look normal. 

There were several police officers on the floor taking statements. Two of them were dragging Hugo out. Daniel was talking with one and looked up to catch Cat’s eye when she came back in. He excused himself and walked up to Cat and Kara. Cat stood a little taller. “They are arresting Hugo. They want to get your statement.” He looked at Kara. “I don’t suppose super heroes give statements.” 

Kara gave him a genuine smile this time. “Not really, no. We try to stay out of the limelight.” 

Cat looked from Daniel to Kara and then said, “Supergirl, this is Daniel Martínez. Daniel, this is Supergirl.”

Kara held out a hand and Daniel eagerly took it, shaking it. “It is very nice to meet you, Daniel,” Kara told him. He just nodded, a little awe struck. When she released his hand, she looked at Cat. “I guess I better get going.”

She walked back toward the way she had come in. Cat followed her. When they got to the mangled door, Cat said, “Honestly, Supergirl, this was a brand new door.”

Kara rolled her eyes. She picked up the bent and broken door, setting it aside easily. Then she stood back and used her super breath to sweep up the tiny pieces of glass against the wall and out of the way if anyone walking by. “I have a feeling you won’t have a problem affording another one.” 

They walked out into the evening sun. Kara looked around. “So this is sunset in Spain,” she said, quietly once they had stepped away from other people. 

“Maybe we’ll come back and I can show it to you properly.” Cat wanted to touch her. 

Kara tried to suppress her smile. She looked at Cat and said, “Let me stay with you until you come home.” 

Cat loved that she wanted to. But she said, “Thirty-six hours.” Kara nodded. 

“Then I’ll see you soon.” Cat watched as she slowly lifted into the air. With a last look at Cat she turned and shot back toward the ocean. Cat smiled after her before turning to go back inside. 

People were milling around, not sure what to do. The police had left, though the CatCo security officers had stayed behind. Cat called out, “Hey, hey.” Everyone was silent and turned to her. “Hugo is gone and he’s not coming back. Everyone is safe. Now it’s time to turn our attention back to our work.” They watched her for a minute and slowly turned back to their work. 

Her eyes darted around looking for Daniel. She walked up to Raquel’s desk and asked, “Where’s Daniel.”

“Uh, he went to the security office to see if he could get footage of Supergirl,” Raquel told her. 

Cat rolled her eyes and sighed. “Damn it,” she muttered. 

She went quickly down to the first floor and to the security office. She found Daniel talking to one of the officers. “Can you put that on a disc for me,” he was asking. Cat came in and looked down at the screen to see the footage of a blur running in front of her and then stopping to walk in front of Hugo. 

“That won’t be necessary,” Cat said to the officer. He looked between them, confused. Daniel’s face mirrored the same confusion. She looked at the officer. “Give us a minute.” He rose and left them alone. 

When he was gone, Cat asked Daniel, “What are you doing?”

“Increasing our sales,” he said. “Supergirl, here in Madrid. It’s a story.”

Cat gave him a hard look. “No. It’s not a story. You will not print any of this or broadcast any portion of this video. Do you understand?”

He looked at her in disbelief. Shaking his head, he said, “How can you say that? A superhero in Madrid. Everyone will want to know.”

Cat stepped into his space and lowered her voice. She spoke slowly. “You cannot print or broadcast this.”

He didn’t understand. He asked, “Why?”

Cat didn’t know how to explain. How did she tell him that she was in a romantic relationship with Supergirl’s alter ego? Supergirl had already been well documented saving Cat before. And back then, Cat was happy to have herself linked to the hero. But now, if Kara was seen helping Cat too much, they risked people discovering the true nature of their relationship. Kara flying all the way to Spain to help Cat would certainly reflect more than just a professional connection. And soon, it would be known by everyone that she and Kara were together. The dots would be easily connected. Kara's identity would be given away.

So Cat just told him, “Because.” He was clearly not satisfied. She quietly said, “I’m asking, as a friend. Leave this alone.”

Daniel looked away, shaking his head. Then he slammed his hand down on the desk, hard. The move startled Cat and made her close her eyes for a second. Daniel walked passed her and left the room, angry. 

By the time she made it back up to the office floor, he had already left. She finished out the day, staying late at the office. After all, it was her last opportunity to work late at CatCo Spain. She collected all the last things Daniel would need for his transition as editor and chief and went to put them on his desk. Tomorrow, she would clear off the desk in her office. She picked up her things and took a look around, then headed for the elevator.

Once at her hotel, she locked the door and felt the need to look over every space and every corner. She hated to admit it, but Hugo's stunt really had frightened her. After she looked through the entire suite, she was satisfied she was safe. 

She picked up her phone and dialed Kara. She picked up quickly. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Cat said. She didn’t know what to say. 

After a moment of quiet, Kara asked her, “How are you feeling?”

Cat waited before answering. “I wish I’d let you stay.”

They spent the next hour talking and offering comfort to one another. Cat had been in danger before. Kara had saved her before. But this was different. Everything was different.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Cat was ready quickly. She got to the office earlier than normal, wanting to take in every last moment there that she could. When she arrived, the patio and lobby were being set up for the big launch party that night. She also noticed that a new door was being installed on the second story of the patio. She gave a faint smile remembering the blur of Kara breaking through it to save her. 

When she came onto the office floor, she thought she would be the first to arrive. She was surprised to see Raquel at her desk. The girl stood when Cat came in. She picked up the take out cup on her desk and handed it to Cat with a smile. 

“Morning, Ms. Grant,” Raquel said, like it was any other morning. 

Cat returned the smile. “Buenos días.” Cat had been practicing her accent. “How was that?” 

Raquel laughed a little. “I’m sorry to say it still needs work, Ms. Grant.”

Cat shook her head at herself. “I can’t believe I can’t even say ‘good morning’ in Spanish. What’s on my agenda?”

Raquel looked at her. She raised her eyebrows and simply said, “Nothing. Just the party tonight.”

Cat nodded and sighed. “Cleaning out my office it is, then.” She turned to walk toward the office. 

Raquel called from behind her. “Ms. Grant?” Cat turned back and Raquel said, “It’s been an honor.”

Cat didn’t mean to, but she felt a couple tears come to her eyes. She held them in with practiced ease as she looked at Raquel. “Thank you, Raquel, for everything.” Then she was surprised as Raquel rushed back over to her, wrapping her in a fierce hug. Cat laughed a little and returned the embrace. 

She spent the morning going through files and putting them in their correct place, making way for Daniel to move into the office. As people filtered in, many made their way over to the office to have a goodbye talk with Cat. She appreciated every single conversation. 

Though, when Daniel came in, he walked by without a word and went straight to his office. Cat sighed and made a mental note to talk with him before she left the party that night. She didn’t want to leave things badly between them. Especially when he was only trying to do his job. 

During lunch, Cat made her way up to the third floor to take a last look at the broadcasting studio. They had built a new studio on the vacant half of the floor which would launch on Monday. She looked over the new set. It looked good. 

She walked over to the sound room to find Maria with the crew, diligently taking notes on her tablet. She came to stand next to Maria, who gave her a warm smile. When they took a commercial break, the two women went to Maria’s office and sat down.

“Last day,” Maria said. 

Cat nodded and glanced away for a second. ‘Thank you’ wasn’t really her thing. But she said to Maria anyway, “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

Maria quickly replied, “No, thank you. It took Rodriguez years to tear this place down and you’ve managed to turn it completely around in less than six weeks.”

Cat gave a simple nod at the compliment. “I meant thank you for offering your friendship. I have missed my family and my home so much. You made it easier to be away.”

Maria stood and walked around the desk, pulling Cat out of her chair and into a tight hug. Cat wasn’t a hugger. She had no idea why the universe kept intersecting her with people that were. Except that it certainly did make her smile. 

When they pulled apart, Cat said, “Your husband still isn’t speaking to me.”

“He’ll get over it before you leave, I promise,” she tried to reassure Cat. “He respects you very much.”

That afternoon, Cat went back to the hotel to change and get ready for the party. She pulled her suitcase from the closet and began packing it with things she wouldn’t be using before she left in the morning. When she had finished her first round of initial packing, she got her phone and took a picture of the partially packed suitcase, sending it to Kara. 

She received a quick response. _‘Now that is a beautiful sight.’_

Cat typed back, _‘I thought you’d appreciate it.’_

_‘I'm picking you up at the airport.’_

Cat smiled. _‘That sounds wonderful. I can’t wait.’_

_‘Have fun at the party.’_

Only a couple hours later, the sun started going down and Cat found herself back on the second floor. The bullpen was empty. Everyone was outside or down stairs enjoying the party. Cat was happy that so many public figures had come, plus a lot of citizens. The party was a great opportunity to connect CatCo to the public. All of the broadcast reporters and print journalists were schmoozing, selling CatCo’s brand by just being social. Cat new that a good party was the best way to sell an idea. 

She made her way over to the white board. She picked up the marker one last time and marked a line through ‘Relaunch CatCo’s brand.’ She put the marker down and stepped back, pulling out her phone. She snapped one last picture of the board. Every single item was marked through. 

She stood there, taking a look around. She remembered the terrible cubicles and colors on the walls. She remembered the awful layout design in the magazine and sub par writing in the newspaper. How far they had all come. 

Just then, she heard a familiar deep voice behind her. “Don’t tell my wife I said so,” Cat smiled and turned around, “but you look absolutely beautiful tonight, Ms. Grant.” Daniel gave her a small smile. 

She put her hands out to her sides, as if showing herself off, and said, “Spanish designer.”

He smiled a little bigger. “Spain looks good on you.” He came up to her and took her hand, lightly kissing it. 

“You clean up nice, Señor Martínez.” Indeed, Daniel was dashing in his tuxedo. Tonight was largely about selling him as the editor in chief. Maria had made sure he looked good. 

They were quiet for a moment. It turned out ‘I'm sorry' wasn’t really Cat’s thing either. But Daniel didn’t have her issues. “I’m sorry about yesterday, Cat. I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”

It was the first time he had used her first name and she didn’t mind in the least. “No, I’m sorry,” she said. “You were trying to do your job. I wish I could explain.”

“Yes,” he said. “You certainly never mentioned that your special someone is Supergirl.”

After years of training, Cat’s features remained unchanged when she said, “Daniel, that’s ridiculous. Supergirl is a friend and she was simply helping another friend.”

But Daniel was no fool. He just nodded. “I understand that the purpose of a secret identity is not to keep the hero safe. It is to keep the people they love safe.” Cat opened her mouth to further protest, but Daniel cut her off with, “And that is the last we will speak of it.”

She looked at him. Then she closed her mouth and gave one single nod. There was no fooling him, just as there had been no fooling her. Daniel would keep Kara’s secret. “Thank you,” she said simply. 

He offered her his arm and she took it. They headed to the elevator. “Let’s get you to your party,” he said. 

“Oh no,” she replied, “this is your party. Whether you like it or not.”

He rolled his eyes. “Are you going to parade me around like your, uh, how do you say it in America, your boy toy?”

Cat laughed. “No, absolutely not. On the contrary, I’m going to parade you around like you are the most important person in Madrid and everyone should know you.”

They spent the next two hours working the party. Cat couldn’t remember the last time she went to a party with the purpose of relaxing, and tonight was no exception. When they had come down, she quickly spotted Maria and waved her over. Everyone needed to meet her, too. She took her husband’s other arm. Daniel had said he was happy to have the two most beautiful women in all of Europe on either side of him. 

Daniel introduced himself and his wife and Cat to everyone. The Alcalde de Madrid had come. She had been happy to meet Daniel and immediately began lecturing him on all of things CatCo needed to be reporting on. He listened graciously. Other politicians attended, as well as several prominent business leaders. Daniel was an excellent host. 

At the end of the evening, Cat could tell he was getting tired. She whispered to him, “I know you’re tired. Stand up straight and keep smiling.”

He whispered back, “How often do you do this?”

She replied with only a little disdain, “Too often, but it’s part of your job now. You are the face of CatCo Spain. People will be watching you all the time.” He nodded his understanding. 

Finally, people were headed home and it was mostly employees that were left enjoying the dance floor and open bar. Cat checked the time and turned to him. “It’s time for me to go.” 

Daniel snapped his head toward her and stared for a moment. Then he acquiesced to the inevitable with a deep sigh. He watched as Cat made the rounds, saying her goodbyes. Maria held her tightly as she had earlier in the day. Daniel offered his arm one last time. 

As they headed for the door, Daniel stepped ahead of her to open it. Cat thought back to all those weeks before, back to the first night she had met Daniel. He had held the door for her that night too. His chivalry still reminded her of Kara. He walked her to her car. When they got to it, she released his arm. 

“Well,” Cat said, not finishing the thought. 

Daniel held his arms out to his sides. Cat happily took the hint and reached up to put her arms around his broad shoulders. He lightly held her in an easy hug that was more respectful than affectionate. When she pulled away, he opened the car door for her. Once inside, she opened the window. 

“Tell me you’ll come back,” he said. 

She offered a tiny smile and quietly responded, “I’ll come back.” With that she drove away. 

Later that night, Cat laid awake in her bed. She rolled over for the umpteenth time and looked at the clock. It was after two in the morning. She reached over to the night stand and picked up her phone. She began scrolling through pictures. She sent Kara the last picture of the white board. The one with every item on the list crossed through. 

A few minutes later came the response. _‘I’m so proud of you, Cat.’_ A moment went by and then another message came. _‘Wait, what time is it there?’_

Cat smiled. _‘After 2. I can’t sleep.’_

_‘What are you doing?’_

Cat typed, _‘Looking at all the pictures you and Carter have sent me.’_

Kara’s next message was another selfie. It was her sitting at her desk, smiling, with her chin propped up on her hand. The text read, _‘Here's another. It’s me, waiting patiently for you to be back.’_

Cat smiled widely. And she noticed that Kara was wearing another suit. Her hair was pulled back neatly. Damn, she looks good, Cat thought. _‘You’re beautiful,’_ Cat texted back. It was the first time she said the first that came into her head, like Kara did. She knew the message would make Kara smile. She wished she could see it. So she sent, _‘I’m going to tell you that every day just so I can see you smile.’_ Cat was a little surprised at her own candidness. But she liked it. 

Kara sent back, _‘You have no idea how much I would love that. Hey, get some sleep.’_

Cat finished with, _‘I'll see you tomorrow.’_

_‘See you tomorrow.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Cat comes home.
> 
> Cat and Kara have their first date.


	10. Coming Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh! The two times I reread this chapter, I was like, "Ladies, just get it on!"
> 
> Then they did. They did.

Cat couldn’t sit still through the entire flight back to National City. She paced through the cabin. When she was sitting, she couldn’t keep her feet from moving or tapping her fingers. She tried to read. She tried to work. She’d never been so anxious to be anywhere. 

She checked the tracker on her phone a hundred times to see where in the world her plane was flying over. Finally, the attendant came to tell her they were beginning their descent. She gave a polite smile. 

She breathed out, sharply, suddenly nervous. She was smiling. She had make herself stop, lifting her chin to put her usual poised expression in place. But then a moment later the smile was back. She felt the landing gear drop. She looked out the window. The ground was getting closer. She moved to sit on the other side of the cabin where she could see the city. 

Her eyes looked over downtown. She spotted the CatCo skyscraper, one of the premiere buildings along the skyline. She couldn’t wait to get back to work. She loved that place. 

The trees were getting bigger and she could see people walking on the ground. She looked straight down to see the runway. The wheels made contact and she braced herself a little when the brakes were applied. Once the plane slowed down, she stood to gather her things. She knew Kara was waiting for her. 

Thanks to the privilege of the private airport, the taxi was short and they were parked in only a couple of minutes. The pilot came out as the stairs were being rolled to the door.

He asked her, “Did you have a good flight, Ms. Grant?”

She nodded. “Yes, thank you so much for getting us off early.” 

“Of course,” he said. They chatted for a minute. 

Cat had her briefcase and her purse in hand, ready to go. The second the door opened, she was outside and on the landing of the steps. She looked out and saw the car. And there was Kara. And a welcomed surprise. 

Cat’s mouth dropped open and her eye brows lifted. “Carter,” she said. She rushed down the stairs and began taking quick steps across the tarmac. 

Kara and Carter both had wide smiles and Kara’s arm was draped around his shoulders. He turned to her and asked, “Can I go?”

“Yeah, go,” Kara told him. 

Carter ran to his mother. Kara walked behind him, eyes on the beautiful woman. When Cat was within reach of him, she dropped the briefcase and bag and threw her arms around him. Her grip was tight. “Oh, Carter, I missed you so much.” She kissed his head and then his face and laughed a little. 

Kara walked up slowly, leaving them room and giving them time. Cat was still holding him as close as she could when she said, over his shoulder, to Kara, “Thank you.” Kara simply nodded, happy to provide the gift to Cat. 

Carter was supposed to be with his father for another week, but Kara had called him and tried convinced him to switch the custody schedule around. He was adamant about keeping the schedule, but when Carter begged him to be there when his mother came home, his father couldn’t say no. 

When Cat finally relinquished her hold on Carter, she went to pick up her purse while he retrieved her briefcase. She handed him the bag. “Carter, will you go put these in the car for me?” He nodded and turned to walk toward the car. 

Cat and Kara both took a few steps to stand almost toe to toe. They stared for a few long seconds. All the weeks apart, and all the commitments made, all the talking, all the touching, all the nights awake wondering if it could even work, and now Cat was finally here and they could finally start something. Really start something. 

Kara reached out, taking Cat’s arm and pulling her into a hug. She breathed out a long breath against Kara’s neck and wrapped her arms as far around the taller woman as she could. “Welcome home,” Kara said quietly. They stayed like that. Kara ran a hand up and down Cat’s back and the touch reminded Cat that she was really there. Home. She would be able to feel Kara do this every day. 

They heard Carter call from the car, “Hey, let’s go eat!”

The two women laughed and Kara told Cat, “I told him we’d go get something to eat.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Cat said. They turned to walk toward the car. Kara walked ahead of her to open the passenger side door. Cat smiled to herself. Now, instead of Daniel’s chivalry reminding her of Kara, Kara’s reminded her of Daniel. 

They drove away from the airport with Carter talking animatedly to his mother. She had shifted around in her seat to watch him while he talked. She kept an open lipped smile on her face that Kara kept glancing over to see. Kara liked watching Cat with Carter. She was so different with him. She was even more attentive and tender with Carter than she turned out to be with Kara. 

They decided where to eat and were soon seated at one of Cat’s favorite local restaurants. When the waiter came to take their orders, Kara and Carter listened with wide eyes as Cat ordered, what had to be, half the menu. Loaded potato skins, egg rolls, a bacon cheeseburger, and a chicken Caesar salad. 

She passed her menu to the waiter and noticed their surprised looks. “What?” Her face was serious, but her tone was sarcastic. “I’ve been eating rice and Mediterranean food for weeks. I’m practically wasting away.”

“You have to share,” Carter said to her.

Kara countered with, “She can share her salad with you. I call dibs on potato skins.”

She gave them both a stern warning when she said slowly, “Keep your paws off my savory American foods or I am not responsible for what happens to anyone’s fingers.”

Kara leaned toward Carter and he smiled at her a bit. She whispered to him, “I’ve seen that crazy look in her eyes before. She almost took my hand off over some cupcakes once. We’d better do what she says.” Carter giggled and Cat smiled at the memory. 

They talked easily. Carter had a lot of questions about Spain and Cat was surprised at how many she was able to answer. 

When their food came, Carter asked, “So what do they like to eat there?”

Cat answered quickly and flatly, “Olives.” She didn’t elaborate. She was so tired of olives. Olives on everything. Though, she had to admit that they were the best olives in the world. So she added, “Spain produces almost half of the olives in the world.” She took a bite of an egg roll and closed her eyes, chewing slowly. Kara smiled to herself. 

“What do they like to do there?” Cat loved Carter’s curious mind.

“Party,” she said between bites. “It’s known as the country of fiestas,” she said, adding a little flourish with her hand. “They have hundreds of festivals every year.”

“Cool,” Carter said with a smile. 

They ate lunch, thoroughly enjoying each other’s company. When the check came, there was a small argument over the check. Kara insisted on treating them, but so did Cat. Eventually, Kara surrendered. She didn't have a chance when Cat gave her that glare. Soon they were back in the car. 

They walked through the front door of Cat’s house and Carter was off to his room. Once he was gone, Cat had her hands on Kara’s face, kissing her with some enthusiasm. Kara certainly didn’t hesitate to kiss back. “I missed you so much, Cat,” Kara whispered in her ear. The sensation of Kara’s breath on her ear sent a tingle through Cat. Then Kara’s mouth was on her neck. She peppered slow, sweet kisses there that were meant to show Cat that she was simply happy she was home. Instead, they were lighting a fire in the older woman. 

Cat slipped her hands under Kara's shirt and ran her fingers over all the skin she could. Then Kara wasn't being sweet anymore. She opened her mouth and sucked lightly at Cat's neck. Cat inhaled at the touch of Kara's tongue on her skin. 

Kara came back to capture Cat's lips with deep kisses that left them both hot and wanting more. Hands were beginning to wander to places that were inappropriate for Carter to see if he came back downstairs. Kara was the one that, once again, pumped the brakes. 

She slowly pulled away from Cat, trying to decrease the fervency of her kisses. Cat followed suit. She hated to say it, but she appreciated Kara’s control. Cat was so controlled in every other area of her life, she couldn’t understand what it was about this young woman that drove her so crazy. 

They leaned back enough to look at each other, but close enough to still have arms around each other. They were both smiling. After a moment, Cat's faded a bit and she said, “I wanted to take you out this weekend, but with Carter here-,”

“I got him because I want you to spend time with him,” Kara interrupted. “There will be plenty of time for us.”

Cat shook her head slowly. She had never been with anyone so thoughtful, someone who put her needs and wants before their own. She could get used to it. “Thank you so much, Kara,” she said. She placed a tender kiss on Kara’s lips and leaned her forehead on Kara’s shoulder. 

They enjoyed the quiet of the moment. There was no need to rush. They could just hold each other. They traded their loose hold on one another for a tighter one, Cat’s forehead slipping into the crook of Kara’s neck and shoulder. Kara buried her nose in Cat’s hair and breathed in. She inhaled her perfume and her shampoo. It was heavenly. She reached her fingers into Cat’s hair and gently scratched her scalp, relaxing the woman. 

“I still can’t believe I get to do this with you,” Kara said quietly. 

Cat soaked in the affection. Not moving a muscle, she asked, “How did you get Carter’s father to give him up?” Despite the way things had ended with them, Carter’s father was a decent dad and he coveted time with his son as much as Cat did. 

“Well, you know I’ve talked to him on the phone before. So when I called him, he figured it was something about your schedule with Carter.” It was true. Kara had had to call him a few times to make last minute arrangements with Carter when Cat was unavailable and Kara was her assistant. “I asked him to switch this week and next week. He didn’t want to at first, but Carter wanted to welcome you home. But he’s picking Carter up on Friday, so you won’t have him next week. I’m sorry about that. I thought it would be special to have him here when you got home. I hope I didn’t overstep.”

Cat pulled back to look at Kara. “You didn’t overstep. It’s means a lot to me that you would put yourself in an awkward situation to arrange it.” Kara smiled, happy to have made Cat happy.

Just then, Kara’s phone rang with a message. She closed her eyes and dropped her head. Fishing her phone out, she looked at the screen. It was Alex. There was a briefing at the DEO that Kara had to go to before an op that night. 

“I have to go,” she said sadly. 

“It’s okay,” Cat said back. “Like, you said, there will be time for us.” She leaned up to give Kara a gentle kiss, then she said, “I’ll see you at work on Monday. We'll make plans.”  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The weekend went by quickly, as they both tried to purposely keep themselves busy. Cat enjoyed her time with Carter and Alex kept Kara busy at the DEO. 

When Monday morning finally came, Cat went to CatCo early. She was anxious to get back and there were a thousand things to do. She had sent out requests for every CatCo office to send a packet containing their last year’s financials, their last three magazine issues, newspapers if they printed them, and footage from their network. Cat was planning a full accountability overhaul and it was going to be a big job.

She was completely focused while she rode the elevator up, thinking over a mental list of things. While she was in Spain, she had let her tyrant mogul persona slip and she was prepared with a hard expression and a pair of sunglasses on to put it back in place. 

When the elevator doors opened, she stepped out quickly with the swagger in her hips. She slipped the sunglasses off dramatically as she entered the bullpen area, but was caught completely off guard when she was met with a chorus of cheers from everyone there. 

She jumped a bit with shock as everyone clapped. They had all come in early, because they knew she would, of course, come in early on her first day back. She couldn’t help but smile. A huge banner was hung, greeting her with ‘Welcome Back Ms. Grant!’ 

They all came up to her, wishing her well and telling her they were happy she was back. After all, no one could run CatCo like Cat Grant. Cat glanced around the large room and finally spotted Kara in the back, leaning against the wall, smiling at her. She returned the smile. 

After everyone had said their hellos, Cat went into her office. The first thing she spotted was the huge bouquet of flowers on her coffee table. It was beautiful, a gift from everyone. Beside it sat a familiar pink box of a dozen fresh cupcakes, also from everyone. There were a few cards, too. One signed by all her department heads, one from the broadcast department, and another from her writers, including Kara. 

She was touched by everyone’s thoughtfulness, though she tried her best not to show it. Rachel came in after a minute. “Ms. Grant, here are the first of the packets you requested,” she said carrying two bankers boxes full of manila envelopes. 

No more celebrating. Time to get to work. She spent the first half of the day pouring over the packets. Some offices were doing far above what she thought. Some were average, some below average. Thankfully, there weren’t nearly as many problems similar to that in Spain as she thought there would be, but there were some.

Around lunch time, there was a soft knock on the glass door of the office. Cat looked up to see Kara, wearing a smile and holding a bag of take out. Cat tilted her head a bit and pointed toward the balcony. Soon they were sitting in comfortable silence enjoying their lunch. 

When Cat was finished, she asked, “Did you arrange that little welcome back?” 

Kara shook her head. “Nope. Evidently, your reign of terror hasn’t been quite as effective as you thought. Everyone here kind of loves you.”

“Damn it,” Cat responded, teasing. 

Kara laughed. “I did suggest the cupcakes. But that was my only contribution.”

They talked for a while. Cat told her about the packets all the offices were sending, Kara told her about the story she was working on and some interviews she was trying to get. Cat had to fight the urge to use her influence to get Kara the interviews. She knew Kara needed to do it on her own. 

That was how the week went. They stole time together when they could. Lunch on the balcony on Monday, a visit to Kara’s office with an afternoon snack of pot stickers on Tuesday, on Wednesday when Cat had to stay late at the office to go over layouts, Kara stayed with her to help. Thursday, it was lunch again. By the time Friday rolled around they were both dying for some real time together. 

Kara came into the office that morning with a take out cup from Noonan’s. The second Cat saw it, she walked up to her quickly and snatched it. It was her first one since she’d gotten back. She took a sip, savoring the taste. After rolling it around with her tongue, she swallowed it and breathed out, “Ahh.” 

Kara giggled and said, “I always knew the way to your heart was through coffee.”

Cat asked, “Is that why you brought it to me every day?”

Kara shrugged. “I just wanted to make you happy.”

They walked out to the balcony together. Cat set the cup down and walked over to the edge, looking out. Kara watched her. She could watch Cat all day. After a moment, Cat turned toward her. “What are you doing tonight?”

Kara quickly answered, “I don’t have any plans.”

“Carter’s dad is picking him up from school today. The minute the work day ends, let’s get the hell out of here,” Cat said. 

Kara smiled and made her way up to Cat, resting her hands on Cat’s sides and pulling on her, just a little. “That sounds fantastic,” Kara said. She locked her eyes with Cat’s, trying to reflect the longing that she had felt all week. 

Cat caught it. She knew the same look was on her own face. She hesitated, not sure how to act with Kara at the office. But she lightly placed her hands on either side of Kara’s face anyway. Slowly, their lips came together. They barely pressed their mouths together before they separated. 

When she looked at Cat’s eyes again, Kara couldn’t help herself. She gently pushed Cat back to the wall farthest from the door, lest anyone see them. Then she kissed Cat, hard. When Cat kissed back, Kara felt it in her belly. The sensation made her open her mouth and Cat pushed her tongue passed Kara’s lips, barely. She wanted Kara to do the pushing. Something about Kara wanting her made her feel more powerful than billions of dollars and the ability to bring any high powered politician to their knees. 

The second Kara felt Cat’s tongue on her lips, she deepened the kisses and they pushed against each other. It was the first time in days that they’d kissed like this. It was amazing. Kara’s hands all over her made Cat’s breathing ragged and Kara thought her knees would give out at the feeling of Cat’s lips on her neck at a sensitive spot just under her jawline. 

As Cat sucked at her neck, Kara breathed out, “I want to kiss every inch of your body.” The words made Cat hot all over. It was boldest thing Kara had said to her. A month ago, she never would have had the guts to say something so blunt to Cat. 

Cat felt Kara’s fingertips start to work at the buttons of her blouse. They were getting carried away. This time it was up to Cat to stop them. Kara just couldn’t anymore. Cat pulled her mouth away from Kara’s skin and caught her hands, looking at her. Kara’s eyes had turned dark with her desire, and she blinked them several times when she felt Cat pull away. 

They were still close enough to kiss. Cat was holding Kara’s hands gently to her chest. “Not here, darling.” 

Kara’s mouth was open and she found her voice. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to push.”

Cat released her hands and put her own hands on Kara’s face again. “Don’t apologize. I want it, too.” 

Then Kara finally smiled again. “The end of the work day. Then we get the hell out of here,” she confirmed what Cat said earlier. 

Cat smiled widely and nodded, kissing Kara again. Kara pulled away and her fingers went to the buttons again. She could see the lace of Cat’s bra and the soft cleavage of her breasts. She fought the urge to press her lips to the spot. Instead, this time she put Cat’s blouse back together, closing the buttons. Then she ran her fingers the length of the blouse’s button line, smoothing it out. The action was so tender and full of care that Cat couldn’t help it. The words came out involuntarily. “I love you, Kara.”

Kara’s eyes snapped up. Her lips parted and she stared at Cat. Cat’s heart started racing. She suddenly cursed her new lack of control. She hated sounding needy so she certainly hadn’t wanted to be the one to say it first. 

Kara saw the instant fear on Cat’s face. She knew Cat hadn’t meant to say it. But she didn’t mind. She wasn’t the least bit afraid. When she said it back, it was barely a whisper. Her finger tips grazed over Cat’s face. “I love you, too.” 

They watched each other. It was a quiet and perfect moment and they didn’t want to let it go. Kara slowly leaned back in to press the softest kiss to Cat’s lips. Cat didn’t move. She didn’t even kiss back. She just let the warmth from Kara’s kiss settle on her as she closed her eyes. 

Kara knew Cat well enough to know that it took her some time to process such emotional things. So when she pulled back from the easy kiss, she simply withdrew her hands and, with a last smile, left Cat alone on the balcony. 

Cat simply stood there, staring at the door that Kara had exited through. When she was finally able to move, she slowly took a few steps back to the balcony’s edge. She lifted her fingers to her lips and smiled to herself. Had she really just told Kara she loved her? She had. And why not? She really did.

She hadn’t said it like that since she was young and uncalculating and eager. Even with her ex, she never said it like that. When she said it to Kara, it was out of the depths of a need for Kara to know it. It hadn’t been obligatory. It hadn’t been forced. She didn’t say it because someone else said it first. She wanted Kara to know it in that moment as a reaction to something significant that Kara had done, so she said it. Yes, there certainly was something to just saying whatever came into your head like Kara did. 

She took a deep breath and turned to retrieve the latte Kara had brought her. She went back inside to work as quickly as she could. 

Surprisingly, the day passed without incident for either one of them. Supergirl wasn’t needed and no major breaking news happened. Fate was on their side for once. Cat checked the time. Smiling, she shut down her computer. As she was walking out of her office, Kara was crossing the bullpen to come get her. 

When they were face to face, Cat said, “You ready?” It was a loaded question.

Kara nodded. “So ready.” 

They turned to walk toward the elevators and, as Kara stopped outside the public ones, Cat reached up to take her hand, pulling her toward her private one. “Come on,” she said. “If we’re going to be together, you can never set foot in those cesspools of plague again.”

Kara laughed quietly. Cat kept her hold on Kara’s hand and they were both sure that at least a few of the remaining people in the bullpen must have seen them before they slipped into the elevator. 

On the way down, Kara asked, “Where are we going?” 

“There’s a restaurant on the water I like, if that’s okay,” Cat answered. 

“Sounds perfect.” When they exited the elevator, they kept their fingers intertwined as they walked across the lobby. 

Cat walked them over to the security office. They found David waiting. He was looking at his phone. He stood up quickly as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. “Ms. Grant, sorry. Uh,” he checked his watch, “you’re finished earlier than usual. Where can I take you?” 

“Well, actually I just need keys,” Cat told him. 

“Keys,” David repeated. He glanced to Kara and then at their joined hands. He teased, “Is Miss Danvers driving you again?” 

Cat held out her hand as she shot back, “I can drive a car, David.” She seemed a bit offended at the implication and Kara smiled, suppressing a laugh. 

David held up his hands in mock surrender. He went up to the wall and unlocked a small locker. He looked a moment and pulled off a set of keys, then he handed them over. “Level one,” he said simply, with a grin.

“Thank you,” she told him. Cat and Kara turned to leave. 

They walked across the plaza toward the parking garage and Kara observed, “You’re different with different employees.” 

“Yes,” Cat agreed. She didn’t elaborate. But after a second, she said, “You should have seen me at the office in Madrid. I was,” she paused, trying to think of a word. “Well, I was nice.”

Kara did laugh at that. “No glaring?”

“A little bit of glaring.”

“No fake firing?”

“No,” Cat said. “Just real firing.”

“What about the hip swagger?” As Kara asked it, she walked out in front of Cat, doing her best to imitate the trademark catwalk swagger that Cat did around the office like she, well, like she owned the place. 

Cat laughed at Kara’s tight rope walk, moving her hips back and forth, one hand propped on one hip. It was a little hot. But mostly adorable. Kara laughed, too, and came back to take Cat’s hand again. 

“I don’t even think I bothered with the swagger,” Cat said. 

Kara couldn’t decide whether she would have liked that or not. She definitely enjoyed watching Cat stalk around the office. There was nothing adorable about it, it was just plain hot. 

They found the car David had selected. It was a small luxury car, and it fit Cat’s tiny body perfectly. Soon they were driving toward the water. The talked easily on the way there. The restaurant was right on the beach and the view was beautiful. They were seated quickly at the best table in the place. This would certainly be one of the privileges of dating Cat that Kara could get used to. 

They sat and watched the water. Kara reached across the table, silently asking for Cat’s hand. The other woman put her hand in Kara’s, stroking it lightly with her thumb. Cat quietly asked, “So how are you feeling about all this?”

Kara answered quickly. “Good. I feel really good about all this. What about you?”

Cat's face had the soft expression that Kara was quickly getting accustomed to. “Good,” Cat said simply. Then she bit her lip. She glanced away and when she looked back, she said, “I meant what I said earlier, on the balcony.”

Kara gave her a small smile. “Me, too.”

They were still smiling when their food came. They talked about everything while they ate. Cat told her all about Spain. She told her more about Daniel and Maria. She told her about lots of people in the office. “By the way, Daniel knows you’re Supergirl.”

“What?” Kara said it louder than she meant to. She looked around to make sure no one noticed. She lowered her voice and asked, “How?”

“I have no idea. After the incident with Hugo, Daniel went to the security office to get the footage. I intercepted him and asked him not to broadcast or print anything from the tapes.” Cat paused and looked down. Then she looked back up and said, “He got angry and walked out. When he finally spoke to me again, he said, quote, ‘The purpose of a secret identity is not to keep the hero safe, it’s to keep the people they love safe.’ Then he said he wouldn’t mention it again.”

Kara's mouth was open. “Will he keep it a secret?”

“Absolutely,” Cat answered, completely sure. 

“What gave us away?”

“I think it was the way I looked at you,” Cat replied, casually, taking a bite. But Kara gave her a shy smile at the idea of Cat’s features giving away her feelings for Kara. 

They continued their easy conversation until they were finished. Once the plates were gone, and the bill was paid, Cat asked, “Come for a walk with me?” 

Kara nodded with a smile. “Yeah.”

The restaurant had a patio with a boardwalk that went down to the beach. The sun was setting on the horizon. The light breeze was warm. The whole thing was picturesque and perfect. They held hands and strolled slowly down the beach, holding their shoes and feeling the sand. 

They chatted along the way, making each other laugh. When they came to a stop, Cat turned to face Kara. They were so close their fronts brushed together. Kara couldn’t help it, again. There was too much perfection in the moment. She leaned in. Cat met her halfway. When their lips came together, there was no hesitation, no letting it build. 

They pushed, roughly. Their mouths moved together with practiced ease. These touches had become second nature, but that didn’t mean they didn’t both feel it to their core. Cat didn’t waste time getting her hands under Kara’s shirt to scratch her nails over firm abs. 

Kara breathed out against Cat mouth at the sensation of Cat’s finger nails running over her skin. “Mmm,” she moaned when Cat’s lips went to her neck. She tilted her head, wanting Cat to kiss her everywhere. When Cat pressed her tongue against Kara’s pulse point, Kara mumbled, “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

Cat smiled against her neck with her eyes closed, feeling the soft spot with her lips. She thought to herself that if it was half of what Kara did to her then she most definitely knew. She let her teeth lightly pass over Kara’s exposed neck, kissing along the way. 

When Cat pulled away, Kara’s hands were on her face quickly, not wanting her to move too far. Kara’s eyes were still closed when Cat asked, “Do you wanna get out of here?”

Kara opened her eyes and barely whispered, “God, yes.” They walked back as quickly as they could through the sand, laughing at their own eagerness. They climbed into the car and Cat drove as fast as she could, Kara kissing her shoulder and her arm and her hand and her neck the entire way back. It was torturous bliss. Kara knew she should have let Cat focus on the rode, but every time she made a tiny sound at the kisses, Kara wanted to hear it again. 

They stumbled through the front door, tugging at each other’s clothing. Cat kicked the door shut and Kara shoved her against it. It made Cat laugh loudly. The sound echoed off the tile floor. It sounded beautiful in Kara’s ears. 

They continued their stumbling about, laughing as they kept bumping into one thing or another. On the way up the stairs, Kara used her toes to slip her shoes off her feet. Cat bent each foot up towards the back of her leg, pulling her high heels off and tossing them aside. 

They were all over each other. The closer they got to the bedroom, the more they both felt the heat rising in them. The laughter gave way to labored breathing as they crossed the threshold and almost slammed the door shut. 

Finally, they slowed down. Cat’s heart was beating fast when she reached under Kara’s shirt, working it up her torso and over her shoulders. She let it fall from her hands to the floor, her eyes never leaving Kara’s. She leaned into Kara and tenderly pressed a kiss to her collar bone, working her way out to her shoulder and back in. She leaned her forehead against the same place and lightly ran her hands over Kara’s body. She heard Kara taking short, gaspy breathes at the contact. 

Cat lifted her head and captured Kara’s lips. Their tongues touched and fought as they kissed each other fully. Cat's hands reached around to the small of Kara’s back, unclasping and unzipping her skirt. It fell to the floor and Kara moved it aside with her foot. Cat’s hands wandered over the newly exposed areas while they kissed. Then she brought her hand in between Kara’s legs to lightly brush over her center. It was enough to elicit a moan from Kara. She pulled her lips away from Cat’s, taking in a breath. 

Cat pulled her hand away. It was only an exploratory touch. She wanted so much to satisfy Kara and couldn’t wait to learn all the different ways to set her off. 

Kara reached her hands to the buttons of Cat’s blouse, like she had earlier that day. She started at the top, unbuttoning one at a time until they were all open. Cat watched Kara watching her. Then Kara tenderly pushed the blouse off of Cat’s shoulders, letting it join her own clothes on the floor. With each pair of eyes glued to the other, Kara released the clasp on Cat’s slacks and pushed them passed her hips until they fell to pool around her ankles. 

Kara didn’t hide her wandering eyes. She didn’t try to steal glances. No, she stood there, hands to herself while her eyes drank in Cat’s body. Cat had never been insecure about her looks, but from the way Kara's eyes were darkening just by looking at her, any insecurity would have been washed away. Kara’s lips parted and her heart beat faster. 

After a moment, she reached her hands to Cat’s slender waist and pulling her flush against her, kissing her hard. Her hands wandered over Cat and she bent her knees a little to run them down her thighs. Cat responded, pushing her mouth against Kara’s. She reached behind the younger woman and expertly unhooked her bra, pulling it off and throwing it absentmindedly. She cupped Kara’s breasts with her hands and began kneading them with her fingers. Kara tore her mouth away to breath and Cat took the opportunity to push her back toward the bed. 

Kara felt her legs hit the mattress and she quickly sat and backed herself onto the bed as Cat crawled on top of her, hovering over her on her hands and knees. They stared at each other, already breathing hard. 

Kara reached up to Cat’s face, the creamy complexion of her skin reflected by the bedside table lamp. “You are so beautiful,” Kara whispered. 

“So are you,” Cat whispered back. 

Kara gently stroked her face and looked away. Cat saw the slight change in Kara’s demeanor. “What is it? We don’t have to do this if it’s too soon,” Cat told her, quietly. Kara opened her mouth to speak. But when no words came out, she closed it again. “Hey,” Cat said. She leaned down to kiss Kara on the lips. It was so soft. Then she kissed her chin. Then her jaw. Then her neck. “You tell me when you want me to stop.”

Kara felt flushed all over. She breathed out, almost inaudible, “I don’t want you to stop.” Cat worked her way over Kara’s chest with light kisses. “I just, uh,” she was forced to pause as she took a deep breath in when Cat’s tongue came out to tease one of her nipples. “I don’t have as much experience as you at any of this.”

Cat took a moment to give Kara’s nipples due attention, sucking at them and running her tongue over them. Kara’s upper back arched into Cat’s mouth of its own accord. Cat slowly came back to kiss Kara’s lips again. She lowered herself down to lay on top of Kara. Skin on skin. It felt warm and arousing at the same time. Cat was propped on her elbows, the fingers of one hand playing with Kara’s hair. 

A year ago, maybe even a month ago, Kara’s lack of experience may have annoyed her. She wasn’t one to hold herself back sexually, or be held back. But, god, she loved Kara so much. And sex was easy to get good at, and fun. She wasn’t the least bit annoyed. In fact, she was surprised by how patient she felt.

She looked Kara in the eyes and her voice was low when she whispered, “It’s not about experience.” She kissed her again, slowly. So slowly that it made Kara ache inside. Then Cat kissed her cheek and lightly took her ear lobe between her teeth. The tingle from her breath sent a shiver through Kara. Cat whispered in her ear, “It’s about instinct.” She tucked her knees in on either side of Kara’s hips and picked her upper body up, straddling Kara and dragging her hands from Kara’s shoulders, down her chest, and over her breasts to settle at her stomach. She looked at her and said, “No thinking, just reacting.”

Kara was unconsciously rubbing her hands over Cat’s thighs. The anticipation was killing her. She couldn’t speak. She was already overwhelmed. Cat was so gorgeous and so hot and she was on top of her, almost completely naked telling her to simply let herself react to her touch. Cat could have asked Kara for anything in the world in that moment. 

Instead of asking for something, Cat wanted to give. She came back down and immediately put her mouth over one of Kara’s nipples, kneading the other breast with her hand. Kara did as Cat suggested and let her mind go. There was only Cat and her beautifully talented mouth and Kara, arching her chest into that mouth. 

Cat worked her way down, peppering kisses all over Kara, running her fingers over her and simply getting to know Kara’s perfect Kryptonian body. Her fingers traced the hem of Kara’s underwear. She sat back and gently worked them down under Kara’s hips and down her legs. She pulled them off and went to kissing Kara’s thighs working her way back up. 

Cat was beginning to lose patience with herself. She wanted Kara. She wanted to push her to the edge. Kara wasn’t stopping her and she couldn’t hold herself back anymore. She moved back up Kara’s body and kissed her on the mouth, hard and deep. Kara’s hands tangled in her shorter hair and she was moaning into Cat’s mouth. 

Cat reached her hand down to lightly press her fingers against Kara’s center. Kara gasped and instinctively parted her legs, immediately wanting more. Cat gave her more, easily finding her sensitive clit and raking her fingers over it, applying pressure. Kara breathed out, “Cat.” It was the only thing she’d been able to say for several minutes. 

Cat watched Kara’s face responding to her touches. She was mesmerized. Kara was beautiful. She focused on Kara’s clit, rubbing it back and forth, roughly and quickly, then softly and slowly. Kara’s brain couldn’t keep up. She was squirming underneath Cat, bucking against her hand. When Cat saw her coming close, she shifted to gently push her fingers inside Kara. She put one knee between Kara's legs, pushing her knee against her hand. The added force pushed her fingers deep inside Kara, causing waves of heat to rush through her. 

Cat kept up her movements, fast and hard, pushing Kara farther and farther until she couldn’t hold on. Kara saw a burst of color behind her eyes and felt an explosion of tingles all over her body. She felt light and far away, and amazing. 

After several seconds, she heard Cat’s voice bringing her back. “Breathe, baby,” she whispered in Kara’s ear. Kara did. She took in a deep breath and breathed out. Her eyes were still closed when she reached her arms up and pulled Cat down onto her, holding her loosely. She felt the light layer of sweat on Cat’s back from the effort of holding herself up to work Kara’s body to complete pleasure. 

They stayed like that, Kara holding Cat while she came back to herself. When she recovered, she began running her finger tips up and down Cat’s back, ghosting over her skin. Cat melted into Kara’s body, enjoying the contact. She picked herself up and looked at Kara, a tiny smile on her face. Kara’s face was so relaxed and so content. 

Kara took in another breath and said the only word she could think of. “Wow.” They both laughed, Cat dropping her forehead to Kara’s chest. When she picked her head back up, she gave Kara a tender kiss. Kara returned it. 

Kara looked at Cat’s face. She hair was messed up and perfect. Her eyes were bright and completely focused on Kara. Kara was overcome with a desire to return the favor Cat had just done for her. 

Her smile faded, only a little, when she reached her fingers around Cat’s back to finally unclasp Cat’s bra. Once it was unhooked, Kara gently rolled them over, slipping it from Cat’s body and moving on top of her. She wanted to feel the skin on skin again. It felt so good. 

Kara let her eyes roam over Cat’s body, then she let her lips begin to roam. Her long hair draped over Cat as she made her way to Cat’s beautiful breasts, licking her tongue slowly over each nipple then massaging them with her thumb. 

Cat didn’t want to wait. She was ready. She had been ready for Kara all day. She had been ready since that morning on the balcony, when she felt Kara’s fingers brushing her skin as she fumbled with her buttons. Kara didn’t realize it yet, but she was incredibly arousing to Cat. 

“Kara, don’t make me wait,” she said, her silky voice thick with desire. “Please.” Kara obliged, moving on, though she wanted to spend more time right where she was. She reached down to just tease Cat’s clit, but she was already so wet and Kara realized why Cat didn’t want to wait. She had been waiting. 

Kara used the heel of her hand to push against Cat’s center, applying enough pressure to make Cat jerk into her hand. The movement spurred Kara and she drew circles around Cat’s clit, pulling her fingers over it roughly. Cat's breathing was fast becoming labored. She already felt heat inside her. 

Cat uttered out a muffled, “Inside.” Kara’s heart began racing. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Cat’s every wish was her command. She pushed her fingers into Cat gently and began a rhythm. She pushed and spread her fingers, filling Cat and reaching her most sensitive muscles. 

Cat felt a warm numbness going through her and she couldn’t talk anymore. She took Kara’s other hand and guided it down between her legs. Kara understood and gave well earned attention to her clit as she kept up the thrusting of her other hand. 

Cat was done for. She began to convulse involuntarily against Kara as the pulsating feeling of her orgasm swept through. She moaned loudly as she came and the sound captivated Kara. She didn’t take her eyes off Cat. 

Cat’s tremors began to subside. Kara laid down on her side right next to Cat, propped on an elbow, she grazed her fingers up and down Cat face until the other woman’s eyes fluttered open. They sought out Kara’s eyes, smiling only a tiny bit, because it was all she could manage, when they found her. 

“Hey,” Kara whispered. 

“Hey,” Cat said back, just as quiet. 

“I love you,” Kara told her. 

Still smiling, Cat said, “I love you, too.” 

Kara noticed the goosebumps on Cat’s arms and moved to pull the comforter and sheets back on Cat’s bed. She gently slipped her arms under Cat and cradled her, pulling her under the blankets and then joining her. 

They laid on their sides, facing one another. Kara reached a hand up to intertwine their hands between them. They didn’t talk for a while. Then Cat said, a little unsure, “I hope I didn’t rush you into something-.”

Kara shook her head, stopping Cat mid sentence. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve wanted this with you.” The confirmation put Cat at ease. Then Kara teased, “I just can’t believe I got you into bed on our first date.” They both laughed again. 

They stayed in bed all night and late into the next day. They talked and made plans for the future. They couldn’t take their hands off each other. They kept switching positions because they both wanted to hold the other. They made love again, Kara’s confidence growing with every sound from Cat’s mouth. 

When they fell asleep, it was after fighting exhaustion for hours. Kara’s head was on Cat’s chest and Cat’s arms were securely around her. Kara’s guard had never been so far down. Cat’s heart had never been so hopeful. With Cat finally home, they felt free to dream about a life together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Vaca!!!


	11. Vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This last chapter is more of an epilogue, a day in the life of what happened after Cat came home. If you read the epilogue for Supercat Remix, it's basically the same silly fluff. :-)

SIX MONTHS LATER

Cat’s alarm went off at its usual weekday time, five o'clock in the morning. She rolled onto her side and reached a lazy hand over to hit the snooze button. When the incessant noise stopped, she nuzzled back into her pillow with a deep breath. 

A moment later, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her a few inches backward. Kara’s front was warm against her back and she completely relaxed. She felt a tender kiss on her shoulder and then the weight of Kara’s head came to settle on her pillow. 

Kara’s thumb softly caressed Cat’s bare stomach. A couple of minutes passed and Cat rolled over again to press her forehead into Kara’s chest. Kara shifted to her back and took Cat’s small body with her and she rested her head on Kara, draping an arm across her abdomen. Kara’s fingers raked through her hair. 

The alarm went off again, too quickly. Cat rolled over for the second time, turning it off. 

“Don’t do it,” Kara mumbled through her sleepiness. 

“Have to,” Cat replied. She pressed a kiss to Kara’s cheek. “The board’s coming in at nine.” After another kiss to the corner of her lips, Cat forced herself to stand. 

Kara barely opened one eye as Cat turned on the bathroom light. With the door still open, Kara saw Cat’s beautifully naked form just before she closed the door. She heard the shower turn on and nestled back into her spot in the bed. She bunched Cat’s pillow up against her face and breathed in the scent. 

Kara loved sleeping with Cat. She loved everything that happened in their bed, but she loved just sleeping with her. Falling asleep next to her and waking up with her, soft touches and quiet talking. It was all heavenly. 

Kara had moved in with the Grant’s soon after Cat came back from Spain. She had asked Kara after only a couple of months and Kara said yes without even thinking. They couldn’t stand being apart from one another. It seemed like a waste of time after all the time they’d already wasted. 

Cat had finally met Alex, for real, and they adored each other, and Carter loved Alex. She came over at least twice a week for family dinner and so did Eliza, when she was in town. Eliza had been more difficult than Alex to win over. She was skeptical of Cat’s motives. But once she had seen Kara with Cat a few times, she was all in. 

Things progressed so fast between the two of them, even they sometimes couldn’t keep up. Doubt would hit one of them or the other out of nowhere. What if they were moving too fast? What if they hadn’t taken enough time to adjust after Cat came back? But the doubt would be washed away easily with a talk on the balcony after work or Kara helping Cat clean the kitchen after dinner and it felt so natural. 

Now here Kara was, laying in their bed while Cat started to get ready for work. Kara needed to get up, too. She had somehow assumed the role of breakfast maker. 

She listened to the sound of the water in the shower. She turned on her super hearing so she could hear the breaks in the water hitting the tile floor. She could tell by the tiny rhythmic splashes that Cat was washing her hair. Her lips began to turn up as she listened. Then she couldn’t help herself. She slipped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. 

It was humid from the hot water and the glass enclosing the large tile shower had fogged over. Kara quietly crossed over and pulled the door open. Cat’s back was to her. Kara came up behind her and lightly put her hands on Cat’s hips. She felt Cat tense with surprise and then relax. 

They shared the shower often. Sometimes in the morning, when they didn’t have to get up so early, Kara would follow her into the shower with her mouth all over Cat. Something about the warmth from the water and the wet feeling on their skin would spur them into passion and they would rock each other into an orgasm right there in the shower. Other times, at night, before bed they would share the shower and simply talk about the day and relax as the water massaged their tired muscles. Then, on mornings like this, when they had already given each other glorious pleasure the night before, Kara wanted to share the shower just because she wanted to be with her. 

She kissed her shoulder and the back of her neck. Cat started to smile as she reached for a loofah and a bottle of body wash. Kara took it from her hands from behind and squeezed the soap out. She began to gently scrub Cat’s back, lifting her hair to pass the loofah behind her neck. The spray from the water bouncing off Cat and into Kara was beginning to wake her up. 

Kara pressed her front to Cat’s back and she reached around to wash her front, teasing over her breasts and moving her hand lower. Suddenly, Cat took the loofah. “I think I’ve got it from here,” she said, still smiling. 

Kara laughed a little. “Just trying to help.”

“Uh huh.” Cat turned around and kissed Kara on the lips. Kara kissed back, smiling against Cat’s mouth. “Good morning,” Cat said, separating and trying to focus on her task. 

“Morning,” Kara said, coming beside the other woman to get into the stream of water. She did actually need to shower as well. They were mostly quiet, handing each other different items as needed. Kara got out first, grabbing two towels and handing one to Cat as she came out. 

Cat tucked her towel around her went to the walk in closet while Kara brushed her wet hair out. Kara came out of the bathroom while Cat was going back in. They gently came together and kissed each other lightly. Cat moved to go over to the vanity, but Kara pulled her back in with a smile that Cat immediately matched. 

Kara kissed her again, a little slower. She moved her nose into Cat’s wet hair and quietly said, “Love you.”

Cat pressed a gentle kiss to her neck and said, “Love you, too.” 

After another kiss to Cat’s cheek, Kara said, “I’m going to start breakfast.” Cat nodded.

On her way downstairs, Kara banged on Carter’s door. “Up and at ‘em!” No response. It usually took a few tries between Cat and Kara. 

When Cat smelled coffee, she worked her way to the kitchen, banging on Carter’s door. “Carter, up!” She heard shuffling about. She found coffee and eggs and her beautiful girlfriend and she smelled bacon in the oven. “That should get him up,” she said. Kara handed her a mug as Cat sat down with her tablet, answering a few emails and checking headlines. 

Kara headed back upstairs to get dressed. She banged on Carter’s door. “Your mom is eating all the food.” 

He threw the door open and said, irritated, “Alright, alright.” He lumbered downstairs where his mom was pulling the bacon out of the oven. She ruffled his hair and fixed him a plate. 

Soon, Kara came back down. She walked into the breakfast nook and looked at Cat. Holding out her hands, indicating her outfit, she asked, “Does this look okay?” Cat had insisted on over hauling her wardrobe and, though Kara appreciated it, sometimes she was still self conscious in the new clothing.

Cat looked her up and down with a tiny smile. Kara really had no idea how attractive she was. “It looks perfect,” she responded. 

Kara wasn’t sure. “Do I need a jacket?”

Cat shrugged. “If you want, but you look good like that.”

Kara smiled back. But only for a second before she said, “The board hates me. I’m gonna go get a jacket.” She turned and rushed back up the stairs. A minute later she came back down wearing a matching blazer. 

Cat smiled to herself. Truth be told, she would spend any amount of money on clothes for Kara. She remembered the first time she’d seen her in a suit on that conference call to Madrid. Kara was damn sexy in business attire. 

Kara piled the rest of the food onto a plate and came to sit. They all chatted as they ate and soon it was time to go. David picked them up promptly. They dropped Carter off at school and then stopped at Noonan’s. Kara went in to get their order as Cat was always already working from the back seat. She came out and David rolled down the window, retrieving his order from her. Of course, she always got him something too. 

When they got to work, there was one last kiss before the elevator doors opened and then they were off, always running in different directions the entire work day. 

But today was different. Around lunch time, Cat opened the inter office messenger app on her computer and sent a message to Kara, _‘Can you come over when you get a chance?’_

The message popped open on Kara’s screen while she was typing. She smiled and typed back, _‘On my way.’_ She made her way across the bullpen to the glass office with a hello for Rachel. When she knocked on the door Cat waved her in without looking up. 

Kara came over and around the desk to perch herself near Cat’s chair. “What’s up?”

Cat turned her chair toward Kara and looked at her over the top of her reading glasses. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve taken a vacation, Kara?” 

Kara thought. She’d worked for Cat for almost three years now and couldn’t remember one vacation. She would take an occasional long weekend with Carter and she often had to go out of town on business, but an actual vacation? “Well, you haven’t taken one since I’ve been here,” Kara answered. 

Cat nodded. “Two thousand eleven,” she said. Her expression soften when she quietly added, “I think I’m overdue.”

“No one deserves it more than you,” Kara told her. 

“I can think of one person.” Cat was still quiet. She looked down to see how close her hand was to Kara’s on the desk. She playfully walked her fingers over to take Kara’s hand. “What do you say?” 

Kara furrowed her brow and glanced away and then back again, confused. “What do I say to what?”

“Well, I don’t want to go by myself,” Cat said, in that even, sarcastic tone. Kara laughed a little. Then Cat asked, quiet again, “Do you think your alter ego can get away for a week or so?” 

Kara pulled Cat’s hand into her. “I think she can definitely arrange something. And if she’s needed, she gets around pretty fast.” She kissed Cat’s hand a released it. “Did you have someplace in mind?”

Cat simply looked at her and smiled slowly.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two weeks later, they were on the CatCo jet, touching down in Madrid. “It would have been so much faster for me to bring you,” Kara whispered under her breath, annoyed at the waste of time. 

“And all my luggage, darling?” Kara just gave a sharp nod. Cat laughed. “Kara, I can’t take an international trip without the jet. It looks suspicious.” Then she quipped, “Besides, I thought we made good use of the time.” Then Kara smiled. They had, indeed, made out a lot on trip. Cat said something about the mile high club, but Kara said she had a much more interesting way to make that happen. 

The flight attendant finally opened the door to the cabin and they walked onto the steps outside the plane. Cat beamed as she saw two familiar faces. She went quickly down the steps with Kara following slowly behind. Cat made her way up to them and she and Maria instantly had their arms around each other in a tight embrace. 

Cat and Maria were both talking at the same time to each other while they hugged. Kara smiled brightly at the sight. She’d never seen Cat with a friend. She had friends, but not any close ones in National City. She said it wasn’t good for her image, and that her close friends in other cities were more than sufficient. Kara was the opposite, she needed friends. Cat only needed Carter and Kara. 

Daniel took a few steps and held his hand out to Kara. He introduced himself. “Daniel Martínez,” he said, as if they had never met before. “You must be Kara.”

“I am,” she replied, grateful to him already. “It’s very nice to meet you. I can’t tell how many good things I’ve heard about you.”

“Likewise,” he said. “I’d introduce you to my wife, but she seems indisposed.” He turned to look at the two women, who had exchanged their hug for a loose hold on each other’s forearms. 

They heard him and finally stopped their chatter. They came back up to their respective partners. “Maria,” Cat said, “this is Kara.” Kara held a hand out, but in true Maria fashion, she closed the gap between the two of them, wrapping Kara in a hug. Kara gave a short laugh, knowing from the way Cat talked about her, she should have expected as much. 

“It is so wonderful to meet you, Kara,” Maria told her. “I must tell you that this woman is so in love with you,” she said, pointing to Cat, who immediately blushed with embarrassment. “You should have heard the way she talked about you while she was here.”

Kara smiled at Cat’s flustered look and said, “I would have loved to have heard that.”

Maria was quickly beside her, linking her arm with Kara’s and walking her to the car, relating several private things that Cat had told her about her feelings for Kara all those months ago. Cat just muttered to Daniel, “Oh, god.” Daniel laughed and offered her his own arm, which she gladly took. 

They went to dinner and the conversation flowed easily. Soon, Cat and Kara were in their hotel suite. Kara’s earlier frustration from the flight was completely gone and once their things were situated, she walked up to Cat and wrapped her up, kissing her thoroughly and Cat responded, lifting her arms around Kara’s shoulders and pulling her close. 

They stood there, kissing passionately. Soon, the passion grew and they were pushing against each other. Cat would have to take a step back from the force of Kara pushing against her, but Cat would push right back, causing Kara to take a step back. Cat began to moan into Kara’s mouth. Kara hadn’t been expecting anything beyond a beautiful make out session, but the second she heard the sound from the back of Cat’s throat, she began pulling at the older woman’s clothing. 

Cat did the same, taking off the belt from Kara’s waist and working at the buttons on her denim dress. Kara made quick work of Cat’s skirt and blouse. Bras and panties flew around the room as they practically fell onto the bed. 

The passion didn’t let up as Kara rolled on top of Cat, her mouth on one of Cat’s supple breasts, nipping and sucking. She didn’t waste time. She roughly pushed against Cat's center and the small woman inhaled sharply, digging her finger nails into Kara’s back. She let out a breathy, “Yes.”

Kara knew that sometimes Cat liked it slow and tender, and Kara loved those times. Kara just loved to love Cat. But sometimes, like right now, she liked it fast and hard. Kara loved these times, too.

One word from Cat’s mouth made Kara hot all over and she used both hands to draw Cat close to the edge, pushing and rubbing and thrusting. The friction made Cat groan with pleasure. Kara could smell Cat’s arousal and see the microscopic beads of sweet forming on her body. Then, she felt the small woman’s firm grip on her quickly relax as her orgasm took over and she moaned loudly. Her body melted back into the bed as she took in air. 

Kara pressed kisses all over her face, giving Cat a moment to recover. She captured Cat’s lips with her own and they both breathed in, hard. When their mouths separated, Cat looked at her affectionately and said a simple, “Thanks for that.”

Kara laughed loudly and it made Cat laugh. “You are most welcome,” Kara said. Kara relaxed herself, laying her body on top of Cat’s, settling her head on her chest. Cat closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Kara’s skin against hers. She ran a hand in circles over her back and tangled the fingers of the other hand in her hair. 

After a few minutes, Kara asked, “What time do we have to get up?” It was getting late. Kara wanted to just lay in bed with Cat all day. 

Cat was playing with Kara’s hair and answered, “I don’t know. I want to go to the office in the morning.”

Kara smiled. “I can’t believe you wanted to come to another CatCo office for your vacation.” Kara certainly hadn’t minded when Cat had suggested a vacation in Spain. She craved whatever time she could get with Cat alone. She didn’t mind a couple of days out of ten at the office. And Kara wanted to meet everyone. “I like Daniel and Maria.”

Cat smiled. “They’re wonderful people.” She felt Kara shift on top of her like she was about to get up, so Cat tightened her hold, keeping her in place. “Wait.” Kara relaxed again. Cat resumed her movements and said, “I really did say all the things that Maria said I said.” 

Kara was enjoying Cat’s hands on her. “What about the thing about me being the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen? I think Maria said something along the lines of how you said I looked like I could have been chiseled from gold when the sun was shining on me.”

Cat put a hand over her face. “Said it.” 

Kara giggled. “You’re such a writer.”

“In my defense,” Cat said, “I was looking at a picture of you with the sun behind you and it was shining through your hair-,” she forced herself to stop talking, lest she say something equally sappy. Kara lifted her head and gave Cat the sweetest look. Cat still felt defensive. “It looked like gold, damn it,” she said sternly. 

Kara kissed her and whispered in her ear, “You’re cute.” 

Cat smiled and pushed against Kara’s shoulders, flipping their positions and putting Cat on top. “You’re gonna pay for making fun of me,” she said in a low voice. Kara smiled when Cat’s mouth went to her neck, but her smile was quickly replaced with an open mouth taking in deep breaths when Cat’s hand went somewhere else.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, they were up much earlier than Kara wanted to be. Cat kept prodding her out of bed, but Kara kept pulling her back into bed. When Cat fought her way out of Kara’s playful embrace for the third time, she walked to the small kitchen in the suite to make coffee, a small offering for Kara’s sacrifice of waking early while on vacation. 

A few minutes later, with mugs in hand, they made their way to the balcony to watch the morning light wash over Madrid. Kara’s alien senses took in the unfamiliar sounds and smells, drinking it all in. Cat would point to various landmarks that were easily spotted from the balcony and tell what she knew about them, often finishing with, “At least, that’s what Daniel said.”

They enjoyed the laid back pace. Not rushing. The only time they didn’t have to rush was on the weekends and, even then, it was usually only one day of the weekend and then half the time one of them was needed either at CatCo or the DEO. 

Alex and Hank had been very accommodating when Kara asked for some time off. Though she had made them promise that if lives were in danger, they would alert her. Truthfully, she had felt a little bad about leaving. Cat, on the other hand, didn’t feel the least bit guilty. But now, standing on the balcony together with their morning coffee and easy conversation, Kara’s guilt was forgotten. 

They got ready and headed to CatCo Spain. Cat drove. She certainly knew the way. She felt anxious. Daniel hadn’t told anyone she was coming. He knew it would be a happy surprise for many in the office. 

They pulled up and made their way through the doors and into the lobby. The same two receptionists were working the lobby. They instantly smiled wide when they saw Cat. One was answering a question for a man in the lobby. The other was on the phone and quickly put the call on hold. She rushed up to Cat, taking her hands and kissing both cheeks. The other girl came over quickly, giving Cat the same kisses. 

Kara looked around. The lobby was beautiful. She had seen the before and after pictures, but to see it in person was remarkable. 

They talked excitedly and Kara had to listen closely to keep up with the accents. Cat introduced them and Kara greeted them with a smile. She was a little in shock. She knew Cat had been different at this office, but cheek kisses with the lobby receptionists was unexpected. 

They went to the elevators and up to the second floor. When the doors opened, Cat walked out. Kara saw a face she recognized at a desk. The girl turned her head to see who was coming off the elevator. Her face lit up and she jumped from her seat with an enthusiastic, “Ms. Grant!” 

“Raquel,” Cat said, as the assistant eagerly made her way over to Cat, putting her arms around her. Now Kara knew she was in an alternate dimension. Cat was hugging her assistant. If they weren’t together, she’d have been insanely jealous. 

Kara watched as several happy faces made their way up to Cat to greet her, some in English, some in Spanish. She handed out hugs freely with a smile glued to her face. Kara was enjoying watching her girlfriend like this. Now she understood why Cat wanted to come to CatCo Spain on her vacation. 

As she talked with everyone, Daniel came up to the group that had formed around her. “Alright, alright,” he said, “Give Ms. Grant some space, everyone.” They began to disperse, some sooner than others. 

Cat turned to Raquel and took Kara’s hand. “Raquel, this is-,”

“Kara Danvers,” Raquel finished. She didn’t know Kara and she wasn’t as bold as Maria, so she held out a hand for Kara to shake. “Good to meet you.”

“You, too,” Kara said. “Cat had nothing but good things to say about you when she came home.”

Raquel blushed a little. After a few minutes of catching up, Cat made her way to the same office she had occupied for almost six weeks. She sat down in a chair in front of Daniel’s desk. “Everyone loves you here,” he told her. 

She gave him a smile. “The glass office suites you,” she said. 

“Well, it’s nothing like your office in National City, but, yes, I like it.”

They had a short meeting in which Daniel caught her up on all of the business at the office. Cat couldn’t have hoped for a better turn around. She and Daniel and Maria had video conferenced a few times a week for several weeks after Cat left. Her guidance was, of course, invaluable. 

After about a half hour, Cat made her way up to the broadcast floor to find Kara and Maria in the control room. Maria was walking Kara through some of the basics of producing. 

“Considering a career change,” Cat joked. 

Kara smiled when she saw her. “Not yet, but this is pretty cool.”

They stayed for a while. Cat walked Kara over every inch of the four story building, holding her hand. Kara hung on Cat’s every word while she talked about the place. 

On their way out, Kara said, “You should take me through the building in National City sometime.” 

Cat laughed. “That would be an endeavor,” she said, “There are places in that building I could talk about for hours. You don’t want to get me started on the printing press.” Then Kara laughed, remembering the debacle with the printing press several months earlier. Cat added, “But I do know all the best places to make out.”

“See,” Kara said. “You should definitely take me on a walk through.”

The rest of the week was wonderful. Kara wasn’t called back to National City once. They spent their mornings in bed and their evenings dining on rooftop restaurants. They went with Daniel and Maria on a private tour of the Palacio Real that Daniel had somehow arranged. It took the entire day to see the whole place. Maria and Kara didn’t try to hide their awe at the magnificence of the palace. Daniel and Cat stayed more poised, as usual, though they were just as enraptured with everything about it. 

Cat and Kara spent a few days in the country that were quiet and peaceful and perfect for catching up on some physical affection that their jobs and busy lives put on the back burner sometimes. 

When their last night in Spain arrived, they couldn’t believe how quickly it came. They were in their hotel suite that evening. Their suitcases lay open on the bed, but remained empty. Cat and Kara had traded packing for one more evening spent on the balcony watching the sunset over Madrid. 

The taller woman had her arms wrapped around the shorter one from behind. “I loved every minute of this,” Kara said.

“Mmm,” Cat hummed contentedly, her finger tips running the length of Kara's forearms and back. “Me, too.”

They watched until the last of sun’s light began to disappear over the city. Cat tilted her head to the side. Kara knew it was an invitation. She pressed a gentle kiss to Cat’s pulse point and Cat closed her eyes. She still didn’t understand the effect Kara had on her. She reached a hand up behind Kara’s head to lightly hold her in place, enjoying the little tingles Kara’s breath caused. 

Soon, the gentle kisses turned into open mouthed, sucking kisses as one of Kara’s hands around Cat’s waist began to move up and the other began to move down. 

Cat turned in Kara’s arms and said, “Make love to me one more time in Spain.” 

Kara didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely,” she replied, kissing Cat deeply. 

Everything had started for them when Cat was in Spain. Though the distance had made things difficult and confusing at first, they wouldn’t have traded the way it turned out for anything, because this was everything. Every text message from Madrid, every photo sent, every email, every phone call, it brought them to where they are now. And, now, they were planning for a future, for a life together. Spain might have been the best thing that happened to them. 

Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to go into some more detail on this chapter, but I was also anxious to wrap it up and I'm looking at starting another multi chapter. But this next one will be a terrible, depressing, beautiful, fluffy mess.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thanks for reading!


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